The Songs of a Siren
by its-me-diwata
Summary: A kind of self-insert that revolves around a young girl named Brielle, reincarnated into the One Piece world with the memories of her past, she goes through an adventure of a lifetime while trying to survive her second chance at life. Will she let things go the first time around? or will she risk it all and make not so subtle changes in the timeline?
1. Chapter 1 - The End

Chapter 1: The End

A/N - Hi! It's my very first time writing fanfiction, so please bear with me,, I am trying my very best to write my ideas that only came to me very recently. I have a whole lot of chapters planned for this and I'm very excited, however, I still need a bit more time before I start to upload continuously, (probably next week). I re-uploaded the first chapter because mainly, it was rushed, (I published it immediately after I made an account on fanfiction . net) and although I proofread about 5 or 6 times before uploading, I still found so many errors after publication. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, and I hope you enjoy the story. – Diwata

"Speaking"

"_Thoughts"_

Disclaimer: I do not own one piece, Eichiro Oda does.

A young girl walked past the streets just a few minutes after dark, exhausted from school and wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep.

The night breeze was cooling to the girl's skin and relaxed her forming headache, managing to stop it somehow.

Her house was a few blocks away, but it was no hassle as this was a normal routine for her.

Swinging her arms as she goes, gripping her backpack slightly, she walked the rest of the way home.

The girl wasn't exactly what you call attractive, ugly? Probably not to an extent.

Overall, she did not have the type of face that people would stop to look at.

The girl had black hair, brown eyes, a tan complexion and clad in her school uniform.

Her biggest insecurity yet, was her round body, her clothes from time to time seem to be smaller, but in reality, it was actually her that's getting bigger.

For as long as she could remember, she was always fat, overweight, and over all unsatisfied with her body.

She tried it all, diets, exercise, and even slimming medications, but nothing seem to work, this in turn made her very sensitive of her weight and introverted.

She was fairly smart though, as she was in the top of her class. She was also very studious and serious about her education.

She has a variety of talents, the girl was a good singer, a decent ukulele player and quite the artist too.

As caring and helpful that girl was, she was lonely, despite her positive qualities.

It was hard for her to make friends, and even if she did, they were always prone to leave her.

Thoughts ran through her mind at times like this, and she wondered,

"_Am I not good enough?"_

"_Am I just a bother? A disappointment?"_

"_Am I that unlikeable?"_

"_Too clingy?"_

"_Too demanding?"_

"_Or is it because I seek a little attention?"_

The negative thoughts went on and on.

It was like nobody wanted her.

People passed by and never acknowledged her presence.

She was all alone, in a world full of people that didn't need her.

She stopped abruptly, the girl shakes her head.

She dismisses such a thought, she didn't need to pull herself down any further than she already was.

She walked, face down, rejecting any kind of human interaction even as little as eye contact.

She instead thought of her day. She had a research study to finish, typical.

It was hard to do, because her so called "group mates" refused to cooperate.

With that scenario in mind, it usually ended up being an "individual project" rather than a "group project".

She hated it, the fact that she was unable to speak about her dilemma to the teacher.

The reason was simple, really, she didn't want to cause an issue, nor become on bad terms with anyone, so she just sucked it up, and dealt with it.

Every day began to feel repetitive, it was the same old process of waking up, going to school, doing school work, making projects, getting at least five hours of sleep _aaaaand_ repeat.

It was a never ending cycle, and to be honest, she was getting real tired, but who was she to complain?

The days were becoming harder and harder for her to pass by, not to mention the stress that has been building up for the last couple of weeks.

She was in her senior year studying the STEM strand, and graduating in a few months' time.

She would be entering college soon, and with an imaginary affirmative nod, reassured herself, whatever stress she's feeling right now, is nothing compared to what lies ahead.

Her entrance exams were hopeful, but the results won't be released until the following year, so all she could do was pray and hope for the best, to at least get into a decent school, or if lucky enough, a university.

"_Ahhhhhh_, I wanna go home already". The girl mumbled to herself, she grew impatient as the time went by.

As if she wasn't going home already.

Transportation became difficult during the later hours, as jeepneys in her area (her main source of transportation) tend to stop carrying passengers after 6 p.m., which lead her to opt for a tricycle instead, but it was far more expensive, mind you, it was twice the fare of the latter.

This time though, she was lucky enough to catch the last one and arrived a 10 minute walk away from her house.

She looked at the night sky, it started to get really dark, light was limited and the girl had poor eyesight so it became harder for her to see which was problematic.

She quickened her pace, her footsteps tapped alongside her movement. She felt her skin crawl, and for some unknown reason, anxiety welled up inside her.

"Huh, why am I so nervous…?" She asked herself, she looked around and stared at nothing in particular.

Her worry built up at an alarming rate, she scurried off, almost running.

Then without warning, her breathing hitched, her heartbeat quickened and suddenly everything started to look like it was spinning.

The headache was back and it came back at full force.

"Urgh..….!" The girl stumbled forward, she clutched her head in pain, and silently cried for help. There was a loud ringing in her ears, and the feeling of nausea blocked her senses.

She walked mindlessly, completely unaware that she was half way across the street before she halted suddenly, her body noticeably trembled.

This made the people around her look her way, some furrowed their eyebrows.

"_What was she doing in the middle of the street? Maybe she was crazy, or just seeking petty attention"_. They thought, before they continued to mind their own business.

She painfully tried to brush it off, as if nothing happened. She felt like she was about to faint right then and there, had she not caught herself quickly.

Then speedy a figure approached.

"Move girl!"

"You're gonna get hit!"

"MOVE IT! HURRY!"

The loud shrieks of the people around her was heard across the street.

Loud honks of a vehicle that ran at full speed, fell deaf on her ears.

Everything that happened next was a blur.

BOOM!

The body of the unsuspecting girl was thrown several feet away from the street.

The sudden force caused the poor girl to hit her head that resulted several life-threatening injuries.

There was a nasty open wound that bled dark crimson blood down the side of her head.

Her skull cracked upon impact on the cold, hard cement she landed on.

Black and blue bruises formed in patches all over her body, it truly was a gruesome sight.

The glasses that once sat on her round face was shattered, some shards of the lenses stuck dangerously close to her eyes.

"_E-everything hurts!"_ she thought, somehow not passed out, just barely alive and conscious.

She felt her bones cracked, some dislocated. All the pain receptors in her body decided to make themselves known in unison.

"_A-am I going to die?" _The girl panicked, going in and out of consciousness. She attempted to speak, but no voice came out.

"_I-I can't die yet!"_ She screamed in her head.

She was disoriented, she thought of her future, all the things she didn't do, all her regrets, her unachieved dreams, and most importantly, her family.

She and her mom live alone together in a large house, her father was away overseas and worked far away to provide for his family. He only went home once a year, and those were the times when she was truly happy.

The girl was still very young, not even at the ripe age of eighteen.

Gone was the chance of independence and the once in a lifetime debut party her parents were planning for her the next year.

Meanwhile, the vehicle driver responsible for the accident quickly drove away from the scene.

It was another case of a hit and run.

A crowd formed around the scene of the crime, their loud shouts and murmurs were doing nothing to ease the pain the girl felt.

"Hey! Follow that car!" screamed one of the concerned bystanders.

The townspeople chased the vehicle up until the next corner. They were unable to catch the culprit, however, they did manage to catch the plate number of the reckless driver.

"Help! Somebody! Call the ambulance!" Some people shouted at the others who made a spectacle of the accident. The more helpful of the bunch pulled out their phones and called the ambulance.

They did not move nor assist the girl just yet as they were well aware that there was a chance to cause more harm than good if they decided to move her immediately.

Help finally arrived after what felt like eternity. The medics ran past the large crowd, and carefully placed the injured girl on the stretcher.

During those moments, the girl was not entirely aware of her surroundings, but she felt her bruised and battered body carried into the ambulance.

The medical personnel said incoherent words that her brain couldn't process.

They immediately started to find any kind of identification card on her.

Thankfully, they found one, in the pocket of her bloodied skirt.

They made a call on the number written on the card and contacted the said guardian of the girl.

"Hello? Who is this?" A woman answered from the other side of the line.

"It's the medical crew of St. Luke Hospital, there was a car accident, involving a girl wearing a St. John's Private Academy uniform named Bethany Mabuti, I assume you're her guardian?" the personnel asked calmly.

"Oh my Lord! Yes! I'm her mother, what happened?!" the voice was laced with worry.

"It was a case of a hit and run, according to the eye witnesses, we will be heading towards the nearest hospital, St. Luke's Hospital."

"I'll be there right away! Please, take care of my daughter." the mother replied, as loud shuffling was heard over the line.

"We'll do the best we can ma'am."

"Thank you."

The call ended when the medics were just about done performing first-aid on the victim.

The girl's injuries were horrific, they only managed to stop the bleeding, but it was clear that she needed to go under operation as soon as possible.

The said girl was at the brink of death, she felt it. Her life force was being sucked right out of her.

Her hearing was a mess, and the loud ringing in her ears hasn't subsided.

They attached an oxygen mask on her to stabilize her breathing, and a lot of restricting apparatuses to maintain whatever will power she had left to live.

"_Lord! Please! Help me! I-I can't die yet! My family! My dreams! Please!"_

She prayed, and entrusted God to whatever happened to her next. It was that moment that she hated the most in her short life, being completely helpless and utterly paralyzed.

It reminded her of her sleep paralysis episodes whenever she took a short nap while she was studying at 1 a.m. for exams. Except this time, it was not because of waking up during REM sleep, it was real, and she was almost left for dead.

She was moved once again towards what she assumed to be a hospital.

By the time the ambulance arrived, the mother was already there.

Bethany was moved to another stretcher carefully, her mother watched quietly as she let the scene in front of her sink in, and within a few seconds, she burst into tears.

"Bethany! What happened to you?!" the mother's voiced cracked, as she followed her daughter being transported to the E.R

The girl could only look at her mother's sorrowful face.

The doctors and nurses were well informed and already anticipated their patient, prepared to perform the emergency operations.

A doctor approached the girl's mother.

"Ma'am, your daughter needs to undergo many immediate operations, she has received many injuries, but we'll do our best to stabilize her condition." The doctor said, and went inside the ER with the rest of the medical team.

"Thank you, please do" the mother's voice was unsteady and could only whimper in between her sobs.

She waited patiently outside, unable to watch her daughter undergo medical operations.

Inside the ER, everyone was busy and focused on the task at hand.

The girl was conscious, as there was no time left to apply anesthesia.

Black spots invaded her vision, and she started to feel very sleepy.

It went on for a few minutes, the doctors professionally doing their work.

It was tense, their patient wasn't doing very well.

Slowly and against her will, Bethany's consciousness started to drift away, her breathing shallowed. This was it. She was going to die.

The pain was too much to bear and she felt her very soul leave her organic body.

"So this is what death feels like huh, it's the first time I've experienced it" She thought to herself jokingly, finding it rather funny to die with such a thought.

With the last of her consciousness, she apologized to everyone she ever cared for.

"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry I left too early, I love you all dearly, please forgive me, to those that supported me, my family, my grandma, goodbye, thank you all..… for loving me."

Her life flashed before her eyes, memories old and new rushed in, before her body gave up and went into cardiac arrest.

Then her body went limp, the doctors were frantic, they called to the nurses and assistants to bring in the defibrillator. The sound of loud footsteps echoed in the room.

Her mother that was waiting outside, worried at all the fuss that was heard inside the facility, she didn't like her intuition, she didn't want to believe it.

The nurses quickly passed onto the doctor the charged defibrillator, right next to the dying patient before them.

"CLEAR!" The doctor shouted as he proceeded to try to shock the patient's heart in an attempt to save the young girl that was worryingly non-respondent.

For a few antagonizing minutes, no one spoke a word, before a loud continuous beep silenced every breathing creature in the room.

A hauntingly straight line was evident on the cardiac monitor equivalent to the patient's heartbeat.

All attempts were futile, and the girl gave her last breath before giving out completely.

6:42 p.m. in a cold hospital facility, a girl was declared dead.

There was a heavy atmosphere, it was just another loss in the hospital, yet it was always a depressing thought to be unable to save a person's life, even if it did seem like a hopeless cause.

The doctors sighed, they failed their patient, and her mother. Slowly, they started cleaning the medical equipment and leaving the room, shoulders down.

The doctor earlier approached the woman again, as she looked at him hopefully.

"Is my daughter alright? When can I see her?" the mother's heart began pounding loudly against her chest.

"She fought well, and she did her best. We did what we can, but she died of heart failure only a few minutes afterwards. I'm sorry for your loss." The doctor said, he looked into her eyes with a hint of regret.

The woman collapsed. She felt as if the world was crashing before her, she did not know what to think, what to feel, and what to do.

Then she cried, cried loudly, however it did not ease the overbearing pain that felt like a thousand knives stabbed against her chest.

The doctor could only lean down and support the mother the heartbroken mother.

A few moments later, Bethany's relatives arrived, they heard the bad news and cried with her, they tried to stay strong and comforted her with what sanity she had left.

Days passed, and black was the only visible color seen, aside from a pure white coffin that held the lifeless body of a girl dressed in white, holding a rosary in between her hands and looked as if she were only sleeping.

Bethany's mother only wept in despair as she tried to keep herself together, friends and family of the said girl paid their respects and remembered their times with the girl.

A mass held for her departure from the land of the living and her travel to everlasting life in heaven together with the Lord.

She was buried, on a cloudy afternoon, as white balloons were released into the sky, finding their way into the heavens.

The burial ended, as the people slowly went on and left. Her family was the last to leave, said their last goodbyes, and placed a single pale rose on her tombstone that read:

"In loving memory of Bethany Elle D. Mabuti, who was her family's dearest daughter. Loving and hardworking, may her soul rest in peace."

Word Count: 2,752

Date of Publication: December 8, 2019

Date of Updated Publication: December 11, 2019


	2. Chapter 2 - A New Beginning

Chapter 2: A New Beginning

A/N - Alright! I'm back with the second chapter, okay, warning, there are mentions of birth and the whole process, so if you happen to be uncomfortable about that, please skip reading when you see the (WARNING) sign, and continue on until you see the sign that says it's over. Anyways, here's the chapter, if there's anything you don't like please give a review on it, its highly appreciated and, happy reading – Diwata.

"Speaking"

"_Thoughts"_

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, Eichiro Oda does.

A consciousness awakened in a dark void where there wasn't anything to be seen.

"_Where am I?"_

An inside voice spoke to no one in particular.

"_Hmmmm….."_

The voice seemed confused, why was it there? What is its purpose there?

"_What am I…?"_

Unable to come up with a proper answer to its question, it stayed like that for a while, and by a while, it meant a _reaaallllllyyy _long time.

It thought of the important questions like, who, what, when, where, and how, but nothing seemed to make sense.

After a few sessions of ask and try to get answers, the consciousness decided on organizing its thoughts first, before it came to a conclusion, based on its observations.

"_Okay, based on my findings, I am somewhere dark, with no light whatsoever, not to mention being aware of my surroundings. I also don't have a body, so the only conclusion I can come up with is that, I am a consciousness that just suddenly exists…somehow."_

The self-proclaimed consciousness agreed with its plausible theory.

"_Uhhh, so now what?"_

It thought, unsure of what to do next.

"_What do consciousness do anyways? I am so lost right now." _

The consciousness asked no one in particular as it was sure no one else is was there with it.

It was all alone, by itself in an unknown place without clear explanation.

Time passed on, and there was no telling how fast or slow it went.

It could have been a few seconds, minutes or a few hours at best, but it could also have been for days, weeks, or even months….!

There wasn't anything to mark how time progressed in that place.

The consciousness could only think for itself and wasn't entirely sure of what do except to just, exist.

The time it spent there was absolutely boring, there's not much that it could do, though that didn't stop it from experimenting on said place.

It tried to move, but it couldn't, must be some restraints or something.

It tried to do something, anything, just to be free from doing nothing.

The consciousness was tired, although it did nothing than scream internally or try not to go insane with the lack of company.

_Yeaaaah_, it didn't really have a choice or a say in that matter.

"_Haahhh, its sooooo boringgg! Why am I even here? Just to suffer? From eternal boredom?" _

The consciousness complained for about the 189th time. The lack of entertainment and the absolute darkness almost made the said consciousness go crazy yet again.

Consciousness-es can go crazy, right…..?

"_Ahhhhhhhh whhhhyyyyyyy ASDFGHJKL"_

And so it complained, and occasionally shouted gibberish, and hoped that something interesting would happen, in the dull dark place it resided in.

Amazingly, someone answered its woes.

Something was heard, it was faint, but undeniably there.

"_YES! FINALLY! SOMETHING!"_ The consciousness shouted, evidently overjoyed at something so trivial.

Try being all alone in the dark with no affirmation of your existence and no entertainment that was even possible down there.

It made the consciousness appreciate even the slightest change or addition in its quote on quote, 'home'.

The consciousness calmed down and analyzed the faint sounds coming from what seemed to be outside.

"_So I'm guessing this place is like a shell or something? I mean, the sounds are not coming from anywhere around me, so I could only assume it's from the outside, sooooo there must be a whole new place out there, and I'm stuck in this awful place. This sucks."_

It concluded, and continued to listen closely to the sounds outside of its 'shell'.

It was a soothing and gentle sound, and the melody was calming which almost lulled the consciousness to sleep.

"_What a pleasant sound, is that 'music', no, more specifically, a 'song'?"_

The consciousness asked itself, not that it expected a reply.

The song continued on, which made the consciousness at ease.

It enjoyed it as much as possible, sadly, like all things, it came to an end.

"_Awww! Done already?"_ It felt sad that the pleasant sounds were over, and that the eerie sound of silence was back and enveloped the consciousness once more.

The source of the song was a mystery, yet it felt very familiar.

The song had a form of beauty and aesthetic that the consciousness couldn't express.

"_I want MOOOORE_" It had a mini tantrum before it settled to just be thankful of whatever that was.

More time passed by, and it was as boring as it could get.

Though the songs were heard occasionally throughout the course of the consciousness' stay in the 'shell' as it named it properly.

The consciousness came in terms of its existence, if the purpose of said consciousness was to drift away in an eternal void, then so be it.

The loneliness always faded away when the song starts.

Honestly, it was the only thing that it looked forward to the most as there wasn't really anything to do there.

The consciousness felt something, and that something felt reminiscent of being underwater.

Swirling in some sort of fluid, anyways, it was there and the consciousness somehow had the ability to have a sense of touch.

"_OH! Alriiiighhtt! Now we're getting somewhere!"_ the consciousness exclaimed.

Finally, the unknown puzzle pieces started to make even a teeny bit of sense.

It cannot really understand how, but still, now that it realized that 'It' was no longer a consciousness if it felt something, right?

"_Hmmmmm so at least I'm not stuck with my thoughts to keep me amused in this crummy place."_

Then it felt itself shift, around its 'shell'.

"_Whoaaa there…what is going on?" _

It asked as it continued to unwillingly move around, which made it dizzy. After a while, the shifting stopped.

The good things came one after another after that.

The darkness slowly dissipated and was replaced with a dim light, not very bright, but it was light all the same.

"_Woooww! There's light now! Yay!" _

It internally shouted in glee because of the light that pierced through the dark shell it was in. The light seemed to vary, sometimes it was bright, and sometimes it was dim and sometimes the light wasn't there.

There was also a gastronomic discovery, something was tasted.

"_Ooooohh what is this? A sweet taste…? A-am I tasting something?"_

True enough, it did taste something slightly sweet.

Then it started to question itself once more, utterly confused with the new senses the consciousness started to experience.

"_Just what am I? okay okay, first, I can say I am sentient, I mean I do know that I am aware of my existence, next I can feel being underwater or in some wet place, I can hear sounds coming from the outside of my shell, I can taste something and I can feel/recognize light, and I know for sure I occupy a body, maybe…..urgh just what am I?"_

It went like this for a few moments before a huge bombshell was dropped.

"_Wait, I can't be just some animal, right? Because animals don't have complex thoughts like this, they mostly act on instinct. Then, A-am I human? nononono, Humans aren't enclosed in a small space..….…_

_for nine months."_

It was at that moment, it realized, it was stupid.

"_I'M A FREAKING FETUS"_ The realization hit the unborn child like a truck.

"_How did I not realize that sooner? I am literally inside something, which is a mother's womb DUH, Its official, ladies and gentlemen, I'm an idiot."_

If fetuses can face palm, then the fetus right here would gladly be the first to do so.

"_Okay, calm down self, now that you know that you are not merely a consciousness, you should be thankful that you're not a sentient rock or something, because that would be pretty dumb."_

It decided for itself that being a fetus was much more fortunate than being a sentient object unable to do anything, it would just be a waste of consciousness really.

"_Hmmmm fetuses don't normally have this high thought process before birth, so what is this phenomenon?" _

The unborn child pondered to itself, having so many questions and having none answered, made the fetus irked, there was also a frequent itch that came from time to time, it was very subtle, but it was always there, at the back of its head.

"_Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something reaaalllyyy important?"_

The unborn child asked as it tried to focus hard enough to remember something it wasn't quite sure of, then without a word a load of thoughts gushed in.

"_URGH!"_ The fetus was taken aback by the sudden force of thoughts that ran inside the child's head at 50 mph.

The memories of the life of a young girl flashed through many sequences, from her early childhood, up to her adolescence.

"_Wha-what is t-this?"_ The fetus curled, kicked, and shifted inside the womb.

A surge of feelings and emotions of a lifetime was too much for the unborn child to process.

The emotional baggage that the unknown teen was carrying passed onto the child, all the depressing thoughts and loneliness more evident than the rest.

But the worst of all, was the clear memory of her early demise.

The scenes of the vehicle that rammed her to the side of the street, the loud shouts of the bystanders, the sirens of the ambulance and the excruciating pain the she felt, it all transferred to the underdeveloped mind of a fetus.

The pain was so realistic that the unborn child still felt the wounds and trauma fresh on the flesh and mind.

"_M-make it stop!"_ The child struggled inside the womb as it tried to break free and escape from all the pain.

Though the memories didn't seem to cooperate and listen to the child's pleas.

Meanwhile, outside the womb, a woman clutched her round stomach in pain, her contractions were becoming more frequent during the past hour.

The pain lasted more than a minute each and she was sure that this was it, she was going to be a mother, which was much sooner than she'd anticipated.

On the brink of fainting, she limped off her chair and managed to call for her husband.

"Honey! I-I think it's coming! I'm about to give birth!" The mother shouted with all her might as she supported herself on the nearby table.

Loud thumps were heard soon after and a man in his early thirties came running down the stairs.

"Honey?! What's wrong?!" The husband asked his wife as he supported her in his arms.

"The –huff baby! It's –huff COMING!" The woman screamed as she gripped her husband's arm tightly in between deep breaths.

The man finally understood the situation, and quickly thought of what to do.

He knew she couldn't exactly run in her situation, so he decided to carry his wife bridal style and immediately carried his pregnant wife gently, and rushed out the door.

The door slammed open and the commotion attracted the attention of the people outside, curious of what the racket is about.

"Help! Please! My wife needs to go to the hospital, now!" The man pleaded as he looked franticly for help.

Luckily, the people outside aided them and were kind enough to coach the couple a mode of transportation to the nearest hospital.

"Everything's gonna be alright honey, you'll be fine, just hold on a little longer." The husband reassured his wife as he held her hand.

"I –huff know, it's just –huff hurry….!" The wife replied desperately.

"Can this go any faster? My wife's going to give birth any moment now!" The man asked the driver.

"I'm sorry sir, but this is as fast as we can go, but don't worry, we're nearly there, just a few more minutes." The driver replied calmly, as he maneuvered the streets.

True to his word, they arrived at the hospital after a few minutes. The vehicle halted and the driver assisted and carried the pregnant woman into the hospital.

The medical staff were quick on their feet as the pregnant woman came in. She was put on a stretcher and was moved to the delivery room.

The husband followed his wife inside, as he put on the proper attire which included a face mask, hair net, gloves and other necessary clothing.

The pregnant woman was changed into a hospital gown and then the long process of labor began.

Back to the mother's womb, the unborn child still processed the load of memories that flooded over.

"_It's finally over."_ The fetus thought, mentally exhausted from the illusionary pain that came with the memories.

"_B-Bethany….I'm Bethany Elle…..!"_ The outburst caused the infant to kick inside her mother's womb.

Bethany finally remembered, the itch that came from the back of her head and bothered her for a while, was actually her memories that tried to resurface.

The unborn child was still very confused. How did the memories of her past life carry on a new form?

It just didn't make any sense, people are only born once, and that was it, people don't shrink in and go back to- okay, that's enough, nobody wants to imagine that.

So the only plausible explanation left is—reincarnation.

"_Is this reincarnation? Rebirth? I don't really believe in that, but I'm here, I guess, welp its better than nothing, definitely better than to burn in hell."_ She decided, now calm and rational.

She didn't really believe in reincarnation, but apparently, she was currently the living proof.

If she was truly a regular baby, then she wouldn't have this level of intellect even before birth.

To see is to believe was the saying, maybe God deemed her too young to die and gifted her with another chance to start again, maybe it was not her fate to die in a car accident.

"_Man! I died young, I swear from now on I will avoid cars at all costs."_

Suddenly, she felt being squashed under pressure, it became harder to breathe as the oxygen she received from her new mother's blood vessels decreased.

"_Whoa whoa whoa, what is happening?" _She asked as the walls caved in on her, and the flow of oxygen became irregular.

(WARNING)

She felt being squeezed out of something, and that something happened to be her mother's birth canal.

"_I totally take it back when I said babies have it easy so long ago, I feel like being fit into an XS shirt when I'm a size XL….!"_

The compression did not stop and it expelled the fluids and mucus in the child's lungs as she passed through the canal

"_Thisissoweirdthisissoweirdthisissoweird! Good Lord I wish I'm not overly aware of my own birth! C'MON!" _

The child internally screamed as her head finally came out of the tight crevice and rotated to push through.

The feeling of the whole experience of birth probably scarred her for life.

Her second life, that is.

In the delivery room, the mother pushed with everything she had, to deliver her baby safely.

"ARGHHH –huff –huff -huff"

The mother panted as she gripped her husband's arm in a bone-crushing manner because giving birth hurts like hell.

Imagine breaking 20 bones at once, and you get the equivalent pain of giving birth.

"Go on honey! Push! The baby is almost out! Just a few more!" Her husband told her, as he looked back and forth at his wife and his baby being delivered.

"ARGHHHHHHHHHH!"

With one final yell, the baby was out and the labor was finished.

"Uwaaa! Uwaaa! Uwaaaa!" The cries of the couple's first child was heard and made the new father tear up.

Carefully, the doctors wiped the excess blood from newborn child and cut the umbilical cord that connected the baby from the mother before gently handing the baby to the eager mother recovering from labor.

(OKAY Y'ALL GOOD TO READ NOW)

"Congratulations Ma'am! You're now a mother of a healthy baby girl." The doctor said, clearly happy for the mother.

The mother carried her baby in her arms, tears slowly slid from her eyes in joy. She looked at her husband, as she ushered him to see their child.

"Look Alexander, our daughter" The mother's smile shined brightly despite of her haggard looks.

"She's very pretty, just like you Melody" Alexander replied as he took the turn to carry his precious daughter, as he observed his child's features.

The doctors then cleaned the operating area and asked the nurses to check on both the baby and the mother.

"How are you feeling ma'am? Are you feeling dizzy?" One of the nurses asked, as she held a clipboard in her hands.

"I'm feeling alright, a bit lightheaded, and it still stings, but for the most part I'm okay." The mother replied and wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

"So, are you going to name the little one right now? Or maybe later when you've decided on what to name her." The nurse inquired the two while she switched in between the pages clipped on the clipboard.

"Well, remember when we were talking about our child's name honey?" Melody asked her husband beside her, as he cooed at the sight of his daughter.

"Yeah, we agreed on naming our baby, Brian, if he was a boy" Alexander mused.

"-and Brielle if she was a girl, so-" Melody added as she looked at her husband for confirmation.

The two looked at each other before they replied in unison with big smiles on their faces:

"Brielle, our daughter's name is Merlin D. Brielle."

Word Count: 2,932

Date Published: December 19, 2019

A/N – Okay seriously though that giving birth scenario was so weird to write I mean—anyways, hope you like the story so far! – Diwata


	3. Chapter 3 - Bombshell

A/N- Whaaaaa? your gurl updated? It was supposed to be up a few days ago but my Internet connection was wack so I couldn't, anyways, here's the chapter, happy reading! – Diwata

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"_Speaking"_

"_Thoughts"_

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.**

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Bethany was traumatized, to say the least.

After the whole birth ordeal, a part of her wished she wasn't born a second time, it was just too much for her.

In short, after an obligatory cry that indicated she's alive, Bethany passed out.

Though from an adult's perspective, it only looked like she fell asleep.

When she woke up from her slumber, she was confused as heck.

It almost made her question her existence again before she remembered everything and the haunting memory birth gave her major chills.

It took her a couple days before she fully grasped everything that happened.

As thankful as she was, the reincarnation thing was still hard to believe despite her musings. She didn't know anybody that lived twice, nor would she ever believe them in that matter, she was still slightly skeptical though.

What if, she was only dreaming? What if, she was in a coma, and the events that happened was just a lucid dream created by her mind in deep sleep?

So many 'what ifs' ran through her young head, and in order to satisfy her doubts, proceeded to slap herself with her puny hands in an attempt to 'wake up'.

But no matter how hard she slapped herself, she never woke up in her previous life.

Her actions worried her new parents to no end, and to the point that they approached the doctors about her odd and possibly harmful behavior.

The doctors were skeptical, and brushed off the couple's diagnosis of their child, without even bothering to see for themselves, and recommended to just keep an eye on Brielle and stop her from slapping herself.

Disappointed by the doctors' reply, the couple couldn't do anything but to try and stop their daughter from her tendencies.

Brielle went on like this for almost a week, but then she got tired (and hurt), and only then had she finally decided to accept the facts and face her new reality, much to the relief of her parents.

It was not every day you see your newborn child slap herself repeatedly throughout a week.

Clearly, there's something horribly wrong.

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As an infant, she couldn't really see anything, because her eyes aren't open yet, though she can feel the light touches of somebody's fingertips nurture her very gently, as if she could break when even the slightest pressure was applied on her fragile body.

As nonsensical as it was, she could distinguish her parent's touch from anybody else, from the doctors and nurses. To her, her parent's tactile motions were so different from the rest.

Her mom's touch was light and feathery, while the others were not rough, but not as loving as her mom's

Her hearing also developed progressively which lead her to discover a new strange thing about the place she was in.

The language used there was not in any language she can speak in, which only consisted of two: English and Tagalog, yet for some reason, she could understand them.

She could hear and understand their conversations fluently, which usually consisted mostly of occasional check-ups from her doctor, 'how are you's' and 'how's baby Brielle's' from her visitors' voices that she'd learn to recognize.

It was unnatural, it was like she heard and spoke the new language her entire life.

Maybe it was a special talent given to her by God to somehow survive in this new world.

Eh, she didn't really have the energy to think and give explanations anymore.

These strange things no longer fazed Brielle, and has grown to accept whatever madness her new life had to catapult at her.

Honestly, she was just done at this point, nothing surprised her anymore, but that last one did manage to intrigue her, which prompted her to once again go back to memory lane and try to figure something out.

"_Hmmmm, this language sounds very familiar….it sounds syllabic and rhythmic as well, unlike English." _The child thought mindlessly

"It also isn't in Tagalog, because if so, then there would be many –a syllables, also there is no 'z' sound, which I always heard. So no, definitely not Tagalog." Brielle concluded

"_Which reminds me, it sounds very similar to those shows I used to watch, what were those called again…..." _The baby pondered as she tried to remember her previous memories.

"_Ah! That's it! Anime!...now, where was it from again?" _

The child thought, and flailed her arms appropriately, as if the action would help her remember more.

Truly, she was a strange child.

Then after a minute, it finally came back to her.

"_Japan! It's from Japan! I get it now! It's Japanese!" _Brielle remembered shortly.

It was truly a 'Eureka' moment for Brielle, so much so that she blurted out of nowhere in real life.

"Ahun!" Brielle exclaimed, which surprised her mother that looked her way from her hospital bed.

"Ohhhh! what an active baby you are Brielle, so much like your father!"

Melody chuckled in the most motherly tone as got up from her bed, lifted her up and out from her crib, and proceeded to sway her side to side in a calming manner.

"_Mystery solved! I still got it! At least I still got my good memory hehehe…." _Brielle thought as she praised herself accordingly, before she settled in her mother's arms that rocked her small frame softly.

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Realizations aside, there was one thing that's very clear.

In this life, she wasn't known as Bethany Elle anymore, rather, a baby girl named 'Brielle', as the repeated use of said name was heard every time somebody either carried her, talked to her or just referred at her, the name 'Brielle' was often mentioned.

It didn't take an Albert Einstein to figure out her new name was 'Brielle'.

She rather liked the name, she felt like the name was made especially for her, it even scared her how well it suited her more than her previous name.

Another good thing was that, now that she's out in the open, she was able to hear the beautiful songs of her mother, in better quality. Her songs didn't have lyrics like she originally thought, it was more of a tune.

A song that she sang in 'Ahh-s' like a hypnotizing melody, which also happened to be her mother's first name, 'Melody'.

Very few people would visit her, so very few that she can count the people that came in regularly based on the repeated voices she heard. Those people visited for only a short period of time, for maybe about five to ten minutes max.

She guessed that, maybe her parents have some sort of trust issues, or maybe they could be fugitives hiding from the law (she hoped not) or maybe they just have very few friends or relatives in the area.

She didn't know, she wasn't in a place to judge.

Their most frequent visitor, was a man namedAlexander, who was apparently her dad. He would always refer to his wife as either 'Melody', 'Mel' for short, or his most used pet name: 'honey'.

That's right, they called each other 'HONEY', much like a newlywed couple, but hey.

She swore if they weren't her parents, she would've threw up right then and there from cringe, but at the same time she found it endearing, can't hate a man who loves his wife.

Anyways, from Brielle's time spent with both Melody and Alexander, she concluded that they're very gentle with her. Melody had this motherly touch, and was very soft, if you can use the word 'soft' to describe a person, and Alexander has strong manly arms, yet his touch was as gentle as his wife's, although he's little bit inexperienced when he carried her.

She was very lucky that she ended up being the child of Melody and Alexander, and she was very thankful that God made them her new parents. Chances are, she could've been abandoned, and unloved.

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Now, being completely aware that one's self is a week old baby, was already weird by itself, because normally, babies wouldn't be highly aware and focused about anything and everything regarding themselves.

For the duration of the week, she let her baby instincts do all the work for her as she was too exhausted to deal with anything else.

It was only after a few days when she realized she had been breastfed, it wasn't bizarre or anything, she was just a little weirded out. Wait, scratch that, she was VERY weirded out.

Sure she was also a female, both in the past and present life but, breastfeeding was just a whole other level.

It confused her to no end how there weren't any baby bottles.

So, she just chalked it up to Melody being a hands-on mom, as it _was_ said that breastfeeding provided a better connection between mother and child.

And as much as she appreciated her mom's attentiveness towards her…..

It was something her dignity wouldn't allow…...or so she thought.

Mentally, she was seventeen, but her physical body was only seven days old, and to nobody's surprise, Brielle's baby body needed food, which lead back to the problem at hand.

Her first ever existential crisis in her new life, was known as breastfeeding.

Though eventually she would have to give up her 'womanly pride' in exchange for nourishment.

And so she consoled herself, there was no other option, and it was either to refuse to drink milk from her mother's breast and die, or to do so and live.

Of course she decided on the latter, a second life with the memories of her first life was a chance she did not want to slip, nor would she waste carelessly.

To die in a car accident was a common cause of death, and was largely acceptable, but to die of starvation because her pride wouldn't allow it? No, that was just plain stupid, and she wouldn't die too early this time round.

The looks of Melody when Brielle decided to pull up a stunt on her _again_ and cry for milk, but when presented to it, shied away….

Priceless.

Brielle thought it was so very funny, and proceeded to do so. She cried and refused for about ten times in a row now. It was still a surprise that she hadn't broke Melody yet with her antics.

"Oh dear, Brielle, please drink your milk, aren't you hungry?"

Melody asked, as she looked as her daughter squirmed from her grasp, and away from her milk.

"Uwaaaa! Uh-uh -Uwaaaaaahhhhh!" Baby girl Brielle cried and was at it again.

Melody was worried once more, it had only been a few days that her daughter decided to stop slapping herself, and now she refused to drink her milk?

What strange behaviors would her beloved daughter show next?

"_Is this normal? Is she supposed to be like this? it's my first time being a mother, maybe it's because of her heritage? My genes? Ohhh I don't know what to do." _

The mother thought as she tried her best to understand why her daughter acted that way.

In the middle of her dilemma, knocks on the door was heard and a person came in with a basket of fruit on one hand, and a small bouquet on the other, which happened to be her husband Alexander.

"Hi honey, how are you?" Her husband asked, before he closed the door behind him and placed the basket on the table near Melody's bed and approached the two.

"Oh! Hi honey, I'm doing good, awwww and you brought flowers too? How sweet." Melody replied as she gave her husband a kiss on the cheek and accepted the flowers.

"Anything for you honey" Alexander replied as he offered to carry Brielle in his strong arms.

"How's work? I'm surprised they let you out early." Melody inquired and took an orange from the basket and peeled the fruit.

"Ahhhh, well I just know my way through work, _hahahahaha_….." Alexander laughed and scratched the back of his head with his free hand, the other held his daughter in a firm grasp.

"Honey, you aren't fooling anybody, you skipped work, didn't you?" Melody deadpanned.

"Maybeee, but can you really blame me? I was _reaaaallyy_ looking forward to see how my beautiful wife and precious angel are doing, is that too much to ask? No one can keep a father from his family." Alexander reasoned out as he made a huge gesture.

"Oh stop it, but really, the higher-ups won't appreciate your work ethic, and you've just been promoted to Captain too, if you're not careful, they might demote you…."

Melody stated her worries as she chewed on the peeled oranges.

"I won't, I promise, now, how's our little angel doing?" Her husband asked clearly changing the topic.

"Speaking of, she suddenly refused to drink her milk, she wasn't like this before, should we go ask the doctor?"

Melody looked back at Alexander, as she put away the peels and fiddled the edge of her blanket.

"Oh honey, don't be worry too much, maybe, she's just _uhhhhhhhh_ I don't know, shy….?" Her husband replied doubtedly with an unsure smile for measure.

"Alex….." Melody said, her voice audibly lowered, her eyes shadowed, which only indicated she was not at all pleased with her husband's answer.

"Ah! I-I was just kidding Ahahahahaha…..." His voice trailed off as beads of sweat visibly rolled down the side of his head, afraid of what might to come: the wrath of her wife's deadly mood swings.

"Do you not care at all for your daughter?" Melody questioned her husband, now sad all of a sudden, her tears threatened to fall.

"Nononono! Of course I do! It's just, maybe Brie just needs some time? To get comfortable? Maybe she feels too hot? Or too cold? You know how babies are, they're sensitive!" Alexander answered as he held his wife and their daughter.

"A-Alright, I'll try again, maybe she does feel hot, all cramped inside this small room." She said, convinced of her husband's proposition.

"_As much as I love you Mel, you can be so hard to understand sometimes, one second you're happy, the next you're angry, then sad…..! It's so confusing!" _

He thought and sighed in relief as he dodged a bullet, t'was a close call.

"Don't be stressed honey, you'll be fine, and so would Brie." Her husband reassured her as he stroked her smooth and shiny hair.

"Uwaaaah" Brielle cried, she seemed to want to be part of the conversation as she reached out for her mom.

"Common honey, try again, trust me, this time I'm sure she'll drink up." Alexander said and ushered his wife to try again.

"Alright…"

Melody positioned herself and held her daughter next to her, and surprisingly, she finally stopped being hard to get and drank her milk.

"Oh! Honey! You're right!" Melody exclaimed and looked at her daughter in delight.

"See honey, I told you so." Her husband replied and looked too smug for comfort.

"Oh hush…!"

"By the way honey, when are we going to sail? We can't stay here for too long." Melody asked as she continued to breastfeed her baby.

"Unfortunately not, not until the next few days. The weather has been acting up, plus there was a report of a suspicious looking ship not too far away from here, it was just there, floating. It didn't have a black flag with cross bones, but it didn't have marine's insignia either. The others suspected that they might be pirates, who knows? We can never be too careful." Alexander explained the situation to his wife.

"Alright if the weather's unfit for voyage, and a possibility of pirates going on and about, then we can't risk sailing with Brielle, it's too dangerous!" His wife exclaimed, worried about their child's safety.

"If the suspicious ship did turn out to be pirates, they would be asking for death. I'm surprised they had the guts to even go near here. This is Marineford we're talking about! If I were a pirate, then it would've been suicide for me…..!" Alexander exclaimed.

In the midst of their conversation, a knock on the door was heard.

"Who could that be?" Melody asked her husband.

"Don't worry, I'll get it"

Alexander stood up, and went to go check. He peeked through the door to see who it was, wary of who the person might be.

Cautiously, he opened the door slightly, in a manner that his body blocked the view of his wife and daughter.

What he saw was a marine officer by the door, when the person outside noticed him, he greeted him accordingly.

"Captain Alexander….!" The said marine officer stated and saluted in perfect posture the Captain before him.

Captain Alexander exited the room, and closed the door before he greeted the marine.

"Ah- hello, Lieutenant Judas…..….What brings you here?" Alexander inquired.

"Vice Admiral Garp is looking for you, he said you're presence is needed for confidential matters, and commanded: 'Bring that damn brat here or else!' which means to head over to the marine headquarters immediately."

"Ah, Is that so, alright, sorry for the trouble. Tell the Vice Admiral I'll be there, also, you are dismissed, Lieutenant Judas."

"Thank you sir." The lieutenant replied diligently before he headed back to headquarters to relay the message.

Alexander sighed before he went inside the room to see his curious wife.

"So? Who was it?" Melody asked

"Work. Vice Admiral Garp called me, pretty important I guess, he even sent me a Lieutenant to send the message, even though I have a den-den mushi right here…..well, he is Vice Admiral Garp, you know how he is." Alexander explained, as he looked at his den-den mushi on his wrist.

"I need to go honey, duty calls, you were right about the higher ups, they're gonna kill me if I'm not there in the next five minutes." Her husband complained and joked at the same time.

"Oh, alrighty then, off you go now." Melody replied with complete understanding.

"Bye honey, bye Brie, I'll see you in a bit, love you…!" Alexander said before he placed a quick kiss on his wife's cheek and his daughter's forehead before he gathered his things, fixed his uniform and readied to leave, but Melody cut him off.

"Love you too, oh, and honey?" Melody added, she stopped her husband mid-way through the door.

"Yes?"

"I told you so" Melody said, with a smile that mirrored her husband's smug look earlier.

"Hahahahaha you got me honey, well, I'll be off, bye!" Alexander laughed before he finally headed off to the marine headquarters.

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Marines, pirates, den-den mushi, and Vice Admiral Garp…..

Marines, pirates, den-den mushi, and Vice Admiral Garp…

Marines, pirates, den-den mushi, and Vice Admiral Garp…

"_HOLD UP-"_

If Brielle's eyes were open, it would've bulged out of her eye sockets as she unintentionally eavesdropped on her parent's conversation. It wasn't like she wanted to, it was out of her control, not her fault she can miraculously understand Japanese.

Not only has she received such crucial information, but also an impending mental breakdown

"_A-am I hallucinating? Have I finally gone insane? Is this the price of incarnation…..?"_ Brielle thought in a state of denial.

"_Don't tell me-" _

The solid proof she'd just heard made total sense, sure there were actual marines in the real world, and in rare cases, even pirates, and maybe under a rare blood moon there actually happened to be a device called a den-den mushi, but the existence of Garp? _the_ Vice Admiral Garp?!

Now **that** sealed the deal.

She could recognize that senile old grandpa's name anywhere.

"_No no, I'm cool, I'm okay, this is nothing, calm down…."_

Brielle thought as she tried to calm herself from another bombshell smacked to her face.

After a few moments of silence…

"_**HAVE I LITERALLY DIED AND REINCARNATED IN ONE PIECE?!"**_

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A/N- I'd like to greet everyone an early Christmas, please consider this as my gift to you, thanks a lot for reading this story, it really means a lot to me, if there are any errors or things you don't like then please tell me, please review, and have a nice day everyone!

Word Count: 3,346

Date of Publication: December 23, 2019


	4. Chapter 4 - Reality Check

A/N – Hey guys I'm back with another chapter, warning, there is mild language and a hint of mature themes, just a wee bit, don't worry. So, anyways, hope you like this one, happy reading! – Diwata

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"_Speaking"_

"_Thoughts"_

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.**

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"_Ha! Some peaceful second life I got, guess I have to throw those plans out the window. Me? Lucky enough to have normal second life? So that was an effing lie." _

Brielle spat out bitterly as she tried her best not to curse in her head at the sheer annoyance and disappointment she felt.

She could not find the right words to express herself and her patience wore thin at an exceedingly alarming rate.

Brielle couldn't think straight, and she no longer had the capacity to properly assess the situation clearly. This usually happened whenever she was angry.

Curtsey of her characteristics in the last life, she can be quite hot-headed and impatient, which eventually led her to say things she didn't mean to say and act rather impulsively.

It wasn't her best trait, and immediate regret usually came soon after she had time to rethink her actions.

Half conscious of her spouting, she thought, not even a second life sparred her from her flaws that was now on full display for the world to see.

Her brows furrowed deep, her frown intensified and the wrinkles that formed on her forehead spoiled her lovely features.

Her inside voice quivered like it was preparing for an eruption, before it finally erupted and went on full screech mode.

"_Dear God, I know you're listening out there, let me apologize in advance, but let me just say for once…..…WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!" _

Brielle shouted internally, she couldn't hold it any longer and a profanity was let loose.

Brielle, in her past life rarely cursed, and the only times she ever did was either through the slip of the tongue or accidentally in her mind but never had she cursed intentionally.

Frustrated, Brielle decided to try and talk to God almighty and get some well needed answers. Although she knew He wasn't going to answer directly, it didn't mean she would stay quiet about the whole thing physically.

"_I know I have committed sins here and there, but those sins weren't as horrible as theft or murder! What did I do to deserve this hell hole of a place for my second life?!"_

Brielle screamed internally, ready to burst out in rage for unnecessary the dangers she could possibly encounter during her stay in this universe.

She could've just been reborn in a different country, or continent, so why put up the hassle to create a fictional world come to life?

Surely, God must either gifted her a with a chance of a life time knowing she was a huge fan of the franchise, or He was just creative when it comes to punishments as a less painful substitute for hell itself.

Either way, she was not gonna lie, after that mind-blowing revelation, she couldn't deny she was a tad bit excited, but that was the kid inside of her, but frankly speaking, it wasn't as great as it sounded.

She was mature enough to realize the dangers that lurked in every corner, depending on where she was. Danger is a very recent occurrence in the One Piece universe, especially if she winded up in the peak of the great pirate era.

Bloodthirsty pirates and decent pirates such as the Whitebeards alike, was ever so present and the probability of her getting slaughtered in between the chaos created by pirates or fights between the marines and pirates was very high.

"_For Christ's sake, PEOPLE ARE INSANELY STRONG HERE! ONE WRONG MOVE AND I COULD BE DEAD ON THE SPOT! AND I'M NOT EVEN EXAGERRATING! I know a certain someone who can throw LITERAL cannonballs at 100 miles per hour! AND DON'T YOU DARE FORGET ABOUT THE CRAZY POWERS GRANTED BY THE DEVIL HIMSELF! Good God, You must be kidding me!"_

The infant yelled without noise, as she tried to relieve even the slightest bit of tension she felt at that very moment.

It was just one thing after another, wasn't it?

First, her death, second, the terrifying birth experience, and now, the grand revelation, what other possible revelations would she learn next? That she wasn't human?

That last one made her laugh sarcastically inside her head.

She did not know how much more she can take, these things started to take a toll on her, and with a very young physical body, it exhausted her very quickly.

"_Alright, let it all out. Breathe in-, breathe out Brielle, calm yourself. You're not you when you're angry. You'll get grey hairs early if you're too stressed like that." _

Brielle thought as she proceeded to try and calm herself despite the many other comments that wished to rupture out of her system.

She knew very well that getting angry for long periods of time won't do her any good, so she decided it's best to just relax, accept the facts and get it over with calmly.

After a while, she managed to relieve her stress and anger.

She prayed for a while, and asked for forgiveness. She was a catholic at heart, and her beliefs still carried on to her second life.

After her prayers, she realized she needed to give herself a much needed reality check.

"_Okay, let me get things straight, not only am I currently reincarnated as another human being, I also happen to be reincarnated in the One Piece universe where there are always constant fights between pirates and the navy, revolutionaries trying to overthrow the world government, not to mention the existence of those blasted celestial jerks, oh, and human slavery is a thing. Now wasn't that a mouthful." _

Brielle thought as she tried to organize her thoughts, and reached back to her previous memories for more information.

"_Hmmm, well, Eichiro Oda sure does a great job making this universe as wacky and eccentric like no other." _Brielle agreed with her statement

"_Now, if I remember correctly….Geographically speaking, there are no continents of any sort, mostly islands, there would be four seas, namely the north, south, west, and east blues, which is known to be the weakest of all seas. There is the so called Red Line that acts kinda like an equator, that reached 10,000 meters beneath the sea and soared high up the surface, deeming it unclimbable, and lastly, there are also hundreds and thousands of islands out there, not only in the Grandline but in the New World as well."_

The baby thought, as she reminisced her previous memories, which was definitely a key asset in surviving this new world.

Knowledge is power, as they say, so she cannot afford to lose track of her precious information from her memories of avidly watching her favorite anime.

"_Now comes the harder-to-grasp part, there more than one type of uh, human species? I guess?, as far as I know, there are the regular humans, the skypieans from Skypiea, giants from Elbaf, zombies because of Moria, CYBORGS and humans that have been experimented on, the fishmen and merfolk from Fishman Island, the dwarves from Dressrosa, the minks from Zou, many many others, oh, and an obvious classified exception by themselves: devil fruit users. Whew! That's a lot to take in."_

Brielle enumerated in her head, now sleepy as a result of overusing her brain that could only do so much for her age.

"_I need to take a break."_ The infant yawned in response to the thought, and decided to take a nap to replenish her energy.

Soon enough, the child went into a deep slumber, with the comfort of her thoughts and the faint background noise from outside the room, she was out like a light.

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A day passed, the baby girl was surprised she could finally manage to open her eyes.

Give and take a few days after birth, the puffiness of her eyelids were now gone, and she was free to observe the world around her in her limited eyesight.

"_Whoa, I can open my eyes now! Ugh, so blurry, and monochrome. It's like I'm looking at a washed out 1930's film. Hmmmm I wonder what my parents look like._" The child thought as she blinked in response to the dim light of the room.

The doctors beforehand recommended to avoid bright or harsh light in her room to allow the baby to encourage her to open her eyes faster as baby's eyes are said to be sensitive to it.

The couple took the advice and it paid off rather quickly. Within a few days, their baby did in fact open her eyes because of it.

Brielle tried to follow her mother's blurry face as she hummed with her eyes closed.

This new achievement didn't go unnoticed for too long, and it did, her parents seemed more excited for her than she was.

Melody noticed as soon as she stopped humming and looked at her baby as she carried her in her arms. She had to do a double take to clarify if what she was seeing was true.

Brielle could only blink in response as Melody's eyes widen in surprise.

"Honey….! Come here quick! You need to see this!" The mother whisper-shouted to grab the attention of her husband who was currently managing his monthly reports across where she stood.

"What is it honey? Is there something wrong?" Alexander said as he quickly dismissed his work to see what his wife wanted him to see.

To say they were overjoyed was an understatement. As they saw wide brown doe-eyes stare back at them, they couldn't hold back a squeal, which mostly came from Alexander.

"Dawww! You are so cute! Ahhh why is my baby so _adorableeee_!" Alexander gushed on and about, and cooed the entire time.

Ever so slightly, he landed a gentle pinch on his daughter's chubby cheeks.

His wife watched in amusement at his usually within-closed doors antics.

The sight of a man of reputation, a manly looking marine captain suddenly went all soft because of his daughter was heart-warming.

One could easily sense the amount of love he has for his daughter, and his family.

"Ahhh honey, she has your eyes, oh so beautiful brown eyes." Melody said, as she complimented both their daughter and her husband.

She adjusted Brielle's blanket so they could see her face more, which amplified her cuteness if it was even possible.

Out of the blue, Brielle bubbled out a bunch of syllables that further multiplied said cuteness ten-fold.

"Goo goo?" Brielle piped in unexpectedly, and tried her best to stare at both of them, a bubble of saliva formed on her delicate lips.

The parents tried their hardest not squish their precious baby in a bear hug in a fraction of a millisecond.

"Yes baby, you have beautiful eyes, just like your father." Alexander explained as beams of pride radiated from his smile and proceeded to gently lift Brielle high up and into his arms.

He finally started to get the hang of the baby carrying thing.

"Yes, yes, honey, but she also has my nose and lips you know!" Melody chimed, as she didn't want to fall short of how she resembled her daughter.

"Oh honey, of course she does, isn't that right Brielle?" Her husband asked the little ray of sunshine in his arms, which only responded in high pitched laughter.

It was music to the couple's ears, ecstatic that their baby was very responsive to them.

The three of them continued to bond over the next hour, to which they spent and played with Brielle, they tickled her and blew on her tummy that resulted in a happy fit of giggles.

They laid on the bed together, with Brielle positioned on the top of her father's lean stomach while her mother sang with her lovely voice right next to them.

Brielle felt very happy, it was such a long time ago when she experienced this much joy. She forgot how happiness felt like for a while, until she spent time with them.

They made her laugh, feel safe and secured, and unconsciously made her contented with the world at that moment in time.

She wished time could stop, so she could enjoy being herself with her new family. She didn't want to admit so early in the game, that her previously blockaded heart from the past was burst open and intruded by two loving parents.

She loved again, so openly and so quickly, that she couldn't catch herself doing so.

As a person that's been deprived of companionship and close bonds, everything she yearned for so much in the last life, her cravings, were satisfied with familial love that was so pure and unconditional, that she could only love back in return.

Before she knew it, she had truly become the daughter of Melody and Alexander Merlin.

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Time passed, and a month had already gone by. The month went by rather quickly, and before Brielle knew it, she was aboard a ship and ready to sail.

A distinctive smell infiltrated her nose as she inhaled deeply, and she took in the unique olfactory smell of the open sea with a sigh.

The hints of saltiness drifted in the air along the breeze, which made her experience a new state of calmness, yet at the same time an unknown thirst for adventure.

Like a call of the sea, it beckoned her to sail across her vast waters.

She was fairly excited to see where fate led her, which in this case was her parent's destination.

Frankly, she didn't know where they were headed, as her parents never mentioned anything yet, so all she could do was make guess on where they would go.

"Look Brielle, that wide blue out there is called the sea." Melody pointed out, and cut Brielle off her thoughts to allow her to get a better view of the ocean that looked like it stretched for miles on end.

What Melody failed to address, were humungous metal doors that bore the mark of the world government in the far distance.

Brielle didn't took notice immediately as she couldn't really see very well.

Still, she was fascinated with what the world had to offer, she had stars in her eyes although she could only see a Gaussian blur of blue occupying the large horizon, and bit of grey in the background of it all, which was strange, but it was still a beautiful scenery.

The seemingly immovable large gates of justice slowly creaked open to let them pass through, and the once unstable currents that roared behind it, flowed smoothly and allowed them to sail easily on it.

Melody tightened her scarf and fixed her daughter's clothes in a way that partially covers both their faces.

She hurried off inside the ship in her private quarters as some of her husband's crew acknowledged her presence and greeted her while they assisted her husband in managing the ship.

The sails were lowered, and the anchor was pulled up. The weather was perfect and they were off.

There was a light rocking because of the waves, but it was barely noticeable.

After a few minutes, the rocking eventually stopped, as if they just floated and never inched forward, which worried Brielle quite a bit.

"_Are we even moving? It's like we stopped in the middle of the ocean."_ Brielle thought as she looked around the small room she was in. Her mother appeared calm and read a book to pass the time.

"_Mom doesn't seem too worried though, am I missing something here?" _The baby pondered, and wiggled around in her crib.

"_Hmmm, so, if we're at Marineford, then that means the grey thing I think I saw earlier were the Gates of Justice! Aaaand considering we are travelling someplace else, and since dad is a marine captain, then he and his crew could travel through the Calm Belt safely, right?"_ Brielle voiced inside her head.

"_Then that means, we are indeed sailing through the Calm Belt, I guess it makes sense, the sudden absence of the waves and wind, but how _does_ this ship move without it? Wait, isn't the Calm Belt also the breeding grounds of sea kings…." _

Her thoughts made her fear for her life and unconsciously began to cry.

"Uh-uh- UWAAAAA!" Brielle wailed in discomfort, large fat tears rolled down the side of her face and wet her pillow.

Melody looked up from the book she was reading, confused by Brielle's sudden cries, she got up and went to her daughter's crib.

"Hush now Brielle, why are you crying? Are you hungry? Did you wet your diapers?" Melody asked and got a quick look at her blankets. It wasn't wet, so she positioned herself to breastfeed her, but she wasn't drinking it either.

What could possibly set her off?

Melody then thought that maybe her child wasn't used to travelling, and maybe she got dizzy, itchy, or maybe even scared.

"It's alright Brielle, are you scared? Don't worry, Daddy and his crew are taking care of us. Nothing will hurt you, I'm here, Daddy's here, and everything's going to be alright, so don't cry."

The reassurance apparently did the trick, Brielle's cries died down, and seemingly understood what her mother just said.

"_Okay Brielle, no need to cry, you're seventeen for Pete's sake, stop right there. Stop scaring yourself, you heard mom, dad's got this, also, don't marines have that special sea rock- kairoseki, was it? To camouflage themselves from sea kings? So there's no need to worry." _

Brielle reassured herself and decided to have faith in her parents that there was, by no means, any harm out to get her.

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More time passed and they finally arrived after what seemed like forever. It took an awful lot of time before they landed, and she wasn't taken out the room she was in so she couldn't watch the sea like she'd hoped.

The room was equipped with everything they needed, and the food was brought outside for her mother to take, which was strange.

She thought she would be bored by the ride, but she was wrong.

Thankfully, her mother brought her entertainment. She brought a bunch of small toys for her to play with, and activity things to keep her active.

There were also an array of colors on the playing cards her mother got with her that always caught her attention.

She could see the vibrant colors and she was easily entertained by merely looking at it.

Melody was also a very attentive mother and always played with her and kept her company.

She sang her songs and did everything she could with her, to which she was extremely grateful for.

Other times, she just stared at her mom, which was enough to keep her distracted.

She would look at her mother and gaze at her face. She can't see clearly yet, but she can already tell that her mom was beautiful.

She had milky white skin, golden hair, and the most mesmerizing emerald eyes she had ever seen.

She definitely got the looks, and she could certainly tell because a particular pair of the crew were always chit-chatting amongst themselves just outside their door more than once.

It just so happened that her mother was asleep during those times, and she was wide awake, so all she could do was eavesdrop on their conversation.

They talked about how pretty and voluptuous she was and often complained how unfair it was that she was confined in that room willingly and that they were unable to get a good look at her.

She heard things in between the lines and it was very clear that they had more than honorable intentions.

She could imagine their lecherous faces as they fantasized about her mother in their sick imaginations. It disgusted her and made Brielle sick in the stomach.

They, who knew very well that her mom was their captain's wife, still found the time to discuss her 'assets' right next to her door!

She didn't want sleazy marines ogling all over her mother.

This made her very first encounter with marines, (aside from her dad and that one lieutenant) to be a very unpleasant one.

Sure not all of them were like the two, and the rest were rather industrious and worthy of respect, but those bad apples that spoiled the bunch accidentally made her neutral respect for the marines fall into dirt.

Don't they have any dignity? Would they stoop so low as to covet another man's wife? Utterly unacceptable.

These are the types of people she hated the most. If only she could do something about it, but unfortunately, she was just an infant, defenseless and at the mercy of others.

She hated that feeling, of being unable to do anything, there were always some sort of restraints that held her back.

She endured the thoughts of those marines until the day they finally docked on land. It was a long week, and she was more than relieved that her family would finally be far away from the two perverted marines.

Over the course of the ride, she didn't see her father often, as he was in charge of the whole voyage, which meant he was always outside the room, away from them.

Although he would visit sometimes, or call them through a den-den mushi, they almost never interacted.

There was another thing, those mushis weirded out, the snails talked and imitated her father's facial features and reactions, which was a normal thing, and it was something she needed to get used to.

Anyways, they went out the room at last. The wind was strong and felt pleasant on her skin. Her mother carried her away and onto new land.

Her father bid his crew goodbye, as they turned the ship round and off they went.

Alexander reunited with his family after a long week of travelling.

"Honey! Brielle! I've missed you! we're finally here!" Alexander exclaimed happily as he hugged his wife and daughter.

"Missed you too honey, now we can finally relax and spend time with our daughter, thank goodness they actually extended your leave for a month, they're usually not generous when it comes to that." Melody stated.

"Well, I have been requesting this for a long time, ever since you were pregnant with Brielle." Alexander explained, as he put an arm on his wife's shoulder.

"Then that's good, so, are you finally telling me where we are?" Melody asked her husband curiously.

Alexander chuckled, before he finally spilled the beans.

"Melody, Brielle, Welcome to-"

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A/N Hahahahaha that's right folks, we got our very first cliffhanger! Sorry 'bout that, It's because I haven't decided where they would be yet, and also because I made this chapter waaaaaaaay too long. I hope you like this chapter, and see ya'll soon. - Diwata

Word Count: 3,764

Date of Publication: December 28, 2019


	5. Chapter 5 - A New Home

A/N – Hey guys, so I'm on a roll with these chapters! I really enjoy writing them, and I hope you enjoy reading them as well. Please tell if my pace is going too slow, I feel like I put too much emphasis on everyday interactions, and that's because that's how I usually write them, I've been meaning to ask you guys for your opinion on that matter, so please tell me if it's becoming too boring, or too uneventful. I can't really tell because I don't have somebody to give me a second opinion when writing. So with that out of the way, here's the fifth chapter, I hope you enjoy and, happy reading! – Diwata

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"_Speaking"_

"_Thoughts"_

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.**

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"Welcome to the West Blue…..!"

Alexander announced with a grand happy gesture, and shook both his hands in a jazzy manner.

"Honey, I know we're in the West Blue, it's just I don't know exactly where." Melody replied as she casually punched her husband's sidearm while she held her daughter Brielle on her other hand.

"Ouch! Alright! Alright! We're in Toroa! Jeez! So impatient." Alexander grimaced as he rubbed his sore arm. His wife can really pack a punch!

"You kept this a secret from me for two months Alex. You didn't even give me the slightest idea to where we're going. I swear, if you weren't my husband I would've just swam here to find out for myself. Hmph!"

Melody pouted, somewhat amused and unamused by her husband's 'secret surprise'.

In reality, she held on for as long as she could. Two months was quite a long time, and it took all her will power to try and (successfully) stop herself from pushing said man into submission and finally reveal the big 'secret' by hook or by crook.

She can't help it, she was a curious woman, and surprises weren't her strong suit, but she could appreciate her husband's childish antics.

It was sweet and admirable of him to go through such lengths and make a secret surprise for her.

It was those little things that won her heart, and it was mostly because of his thoughtfulness and loving personality that made her say yes and take her hand in marriage.

"But I am, and you love meeeeee_._" Alexander cooed at his wife, as he elongated the last syllable playfully.

Melody looked away in fake annoyance and hmph-ed once more for good measure.

"Oh common now honey, don't be mad, we're here now and we can finally spend much needed time together."

Alexander hugged his moody wife when he suddenly got an idea. He took her by the hand, quickened his steps and accelerated to the point that he was almost sprinting.

His unexpected tug caught Melody off guard and could only follow him running close behind.

"Wha- Alex! The baggage! And Brielle!—pfft—Hahahahahaha." Melody let out a laugh as she couldn't resist her husband charms any longer.

Alexander smiled, happy that he made his wife laugh, and slowly stopped running until they were at the foot of a small hill, almost like a bump of land coated with bright green grass.

"Huff- we're –huff- here! Welcome to our new home!" The marine captain pointed towards a single house atop the hill.

It was empty of people yet it already looked cozy and welcoming.

It had two floors, pale yellow walls with large and small windows scattered all over it, a shiny blue roof, a brown oak door and a red-bricked chimney that adorned the soon-to-be house of the family.

Right next to the house was a large tree with a swing tied on its sturdy branches. There was also a small mailbox on the side and a charming stone walkway that led directly to the doorstep.

"I-It's beautiful! When did you-" Melody gasped loudly at the sight before her.

Alexander put his index finger in front of his lips, and winked.

"It's a secret hahahaha, you go ahead and explore the place, I'll go and get the baggage."

Alexander laughed, he then tossed a pair of keys towards his wife who caught it flawlessly with her free hand. He turned around and ran at full speed to hurriedly get the baggage they left unattended by the docks.

He was such charmer, Melody thought, she could only smile at her husband's antics.

"That dork." Melody shook her head and excitedly walked towards their new home.

Her dainty feet walked on the beautiful stone path. She admired how absolutely perfect their house was and with each step becoming faster and faster until she was face to face with the door.

Carefully, she reached for the keys inside her pocket that her husband gave her, and unlocked the door.

It clicked open, and she was surprised to see that it was already fully furnished. She made a careful step inside and took everything in for one second.

"Oh my seas….." Melody's voice went silent as she observed the sight before her.

The living room was complete with a mocha-colored couch, two comfortable chairs, a short coffee table placed on a beige carpet and an empty fireplace.

She looked around more, eventually she found the kitchen. It was fully equipped with a sink, a refrigerator, a long granite counter, cabinets, kitchen equipment, cutlery, dishes, a pantry (fully stocked she might add), and a full dining set.

She stared in awe and wondered when her husband planned the house and how much money it would've cost, not to mention the land, construction, furniture, appliances and decor!

Even down to the pantry! It was already filled with goods!

She had to admit, her husband sure knew how to make surprises. It was definitely something, she was farmore than surprised than she'd initially thought.

She then walked towards the stairs, and wondered what else could be up there.

There were exactly three rooms in the second floor, and Melody decided to open the nearest door.

She went inside and saw cream colored walls, there was a large bed adjacent to the wall and was complete with fluffy pillows and soft blankets.

Right next to the bed was a table with drawers and a lampshade on top. On the opposite side of the room was a cabinet, and a small vault concealed behind an empty picture frame.

She was sure that this was their room, as it was big enough for the both of them. She had to say, her husband got good taste when it comes to interior design.

She visited the next room, with Brielle wide awake in her arms. She must be as curious as she was, it was a new environment and it was to be their new home.

Inside that room were baby pink walls, a tall crib attached with a baby mobile in the center of the room, a wide shelf with a few books placed on top of it, a small carpet, a rocking chair, a large chest full of toys, and lastly, a bumped out window seat.

"Awwww look Brielle, this your room now, isn't it pretty?" Melody asked and lifted her baby for her to see.

Brielle got a good look at it, and what got her attention was the abundance of the color pink in her room.

"_Hmmmm looks pretty girly to me…I like it." _Brielle declared and giggled happily.

She did unironically like pink, and as girly as it was, she actually liked the subtle pink hues and pastels used for her room. It made it pleasing and joyful to look at.

"_Man, they know me well hahahahaha_." The baby smiled in response to her thoughts.

"I'm glad you like it too Brielle." Her mother mirrored the same smile, and placed her carefully on her new crib.

"I'll let you rest for a while, you must be tired by the long trip, I'll be back, don't worry." Melody said as she stretched her back and gently massaged her aching muscles.

She then walked out the door to enter the last unexplored door only to find it completely empty.

"Huh, what's this room supposed to be?" Melody pondered, her thoughts were cut short as she heard her husband's loud footsteps enter the house.

"Honey? Are you there?" Alexander called out, and placed their heavy baggage down on the floor with a thud.

"I'm up here" Melody replied, her voice echoed from upstairs. Inaudible shuffles were heard which indicated her movements.

Alexander followed her voice and was greeted with a gentle kiss on the lips

"Thank you honey, I love it" Melody said as her eyes sparkled with glee.

"Glad you like the surprise honey." Alexander replied as he leaned over and returned the kiss.

They stayed like that for a while until Alexander broke the ice.

"By the way honey, where's Brie?" He inquired his wife, as he couldn't see any signs of his precious baby.

"She's upstairs, already enjoying her new crib, she said it's comfy." His wife jokingly replied in behalf of Brielle.

"Oh, ahahahaha alright, let me just unpack these, so we can really make this 'our' home."

"I'll prepare lunch then, it's already 11 o'clock, is there anything you want me to cook honey?"

"I have been craving your curry rice, it's been a while since you've made it too, and we also happen to have all those ingredients already…" Alexander implied heavily.

"Curry rice it is then, talk about being unobvious hahaha." Melody chuckled and headed towards the kitchen to make her specialty dish her husband loved so much.

Alexander went on ahead and lifted the heavy luggage to properly arrange upstairs, while Melody cooked.

He zipped the bags open and pulled out its contents. The couple didn't have that much to bring with them. It was just a heap of clothes, baby stuff, personal necessities, money, and other important documents.

He started to arrange the clothes and other stuff in their respective places while Alexander hummed a familiar tune.

After he finished unpacking, Alexander went to check on Brielle next door.

"How's my little Brie doing huh?" He said in a playful tone as he approached the baby. His voice alerted Brielle of his presence.

"Bwaa bwaaaa." Brielle spoke illegible words with a toothless smile. She raised her hands up reaching for her dad and opened and closed her palms.

"Ohooo you want me to carry you? Alrightyy, come to Daddyyyy." Alexander lifted her up as she requested.

He swinged her side to side like a swing. Brielle gave out hearty laughs and enjoyed basking in her dad's undivided attention.

She brought her hands to her dad's face and cupped it gently. He then turned to look at her, and smiled serenely, his pearly whites were visibly seen.

Brielle stared at her dad. She now had a better view of his face after a long time. She noticed that he always wore a smile, no matter the situation, and had a carefree spirit, unlike her mom.

Her father had soft vibrant black locks, bronze sun-kissed skin, and had a carbon copy of her chocolate brown eyes.

To Brielle, her dad also looked attractive and charismatic.

He was also fairly muscular as she could feel his lean chest every time he carried her, and she could also feel his strong biceps that could really lift.

"_Dang my parents are gorgeous_….!" Brielle thought in a sudden realization.

"_Ehem….! Totally not wishing that maybe I inherited some of their good-looking, high quality genes. Not saying I want to, but I kinda do hahahaha_" She fake-coughed in both her mind and in reality.

*Cough*

"Ah! You okay there Brie? That was quite the cough."

Brielle only blinked and allowed her saliva to drool down the side of her mouth, to which Alexander wiped it off with her bib.

"Hahaha, you hungry? Me too, common, let's go check and see what Mommy is cooking."

Alexander asked his baby before he walked back down stairs to see if Melody was done cooking.

The mouth-watering smell of his wife's curry wafted in the air, and like a comedic sketch, the aroma beckoned the marine captain to follow it in the kitchen.

"Waaaah! It smells amazing honey! Is it done? Is it done?" Alexander asked like a hyperactive kid.

"Almost, give it a few more minutes to simmer, in the meantime, help me set up the plates, time will go faster that way." Melody suggested and opened one of the kitchen cabinets to fetch the plates.

"Okay, let me just put Brielle back on the crib."

"_Wha? Nooooooo! I wanna eat mom's curry too_…_…!"_ Brielle began to cry as she was slowly separated from one of her favorite foods. She was getting tired of the eating (drinking) the same food over and over again.

"Uwahhhhh!" This surprised Alexander and looked at his wife for guidance.

"Let me handle it, it's already a bit late compared to her normal feeding time, she must be hungry. Continue setting up the table and I'll be back in a bit. Turn off the stove after five minutes." Melody instructed as Melody breastfed her baby in her pink clad room.

"_Hmph! This sucks."_ Brielle thought as she drank her milk, though she understood that she was too young to eat solid foods just yet.

"_ .torture."_ Brielle rolled her eyes at the thought and continued to 'eat' her lunch. So much for that appetizing lunch.

After a few minutes, Melody put Brielle back in her crib and went to eat the scrumptious meal she had prepared downstairs with her husband.

They ate until they were satisfied. Alexander washed the dishes while Melody dried them clean and placed it back on the cabinet. It was a tiring day and so the family spent the rest of the afternoon resting.

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The following day, Melody baked a lot of delectable treats to give out to their new neighbors, who were just a few walks away. She went out knocking on door to door and introduced herself to the locals. They appreciated the gift and instantly welcomed her into the neighborhood.

On other days, she went out of the house with Brielle on a stroller to the village to give her needed vitamin D, and also to go interact with the other locals.

Melody immediately got a good reputation amongst the villagers and became friends with them awfully fast, and in return, her new neighbors hosted a welcoming party in honor of their new neighbors/friends.

Over all, Melody and Brielle had already blended into their new neighborhood seamlessly.

The locals on the other hand already knew Alexander before, it was because Toroa was his hometown. He spent his childhood and adolescence living there until he left and enlisted in the marines.

He was known by the townspeople as a lively and respectful young boy and was good friends with all of them too. When they heard of his recent promotion, they celebrated and held a party.

It was during their stay at Toroa when Alexander reunited with a man named Chiko, who was the town craftsman and his childhood friend.

They bonded over a good mug of ale and reminisced about the good times during their early years.

Chiko eventually invited him and his family over for dinner to which he happily agreed. There they met the Kaito family.

There was Ophelia, a kind and reserved woman, who was Chiko's loving wife and their baby boy Byron, who happened to be just a few months older than Brielle.

The four were overjoyed to find that both their kids now have a new friend that they can grow up with. They had a pleasant evening and became even closer friends.

Alexander started hanging out with Chiko at least once a week during his stay, while Ophelia and Melody bonded over their love of music.

Turns out, Ophelia knew how to play the keys, and was a master at it. She also knew how to play a variety of other instruments. Melody sang, and Ophelia accompanied her songs, and together they made an amazing duo that he townspeople came to recognize.

They would often ask and request the two to play for the village's festival and parties.

When they were not playing their instruments or singing, they came over to each other's houses to baby sit their babies and talk about anything and everything.

The two couples became like siblings to one another and as a result, both Brielle called Byron's parents Uncle Chi and Aunt Lia, while Byron called Brielle's parents Uncle Alex and Aunt Mel.

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The month ended in a blink of an eye, and Alexander was called back to marine HQ. Brielle was sad to see him go, but overall understood his duties as a marine captain.

Melody reassured her that he would be back after the next six months and stay for about two weeks, and that he would always call on the den-den mushi so she could hear his voice.

Brielle was horrified that she would be using the dreaded snail for communication, she still wasn't used to their big eyes and creepy expressions that looked like a one dollar imitation of anybody talking through it. It was cute in 2d, but in 3d, they looked very different.

Brielle thought that it was unexpected that she won't be seeing her father for half a year, it was mainly because she got too used to seeing her father daily, but she was not all surprised.

In her past life, her father worked overseas and only came home once a year for one month. He gained 2.5 days of leave per month there and if she calculated it in her head, (which was hard) turned out that it was the exact same system the marine uses.

She guessed maybe there are some things in the OP universe that do tie up in the 'real world'.

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In the first year, she achieved many milestones. She eventually learned how to crawl, sit, stand, and the most rewarding of all: to walk and talk

She timed her achievement well, it was when her father came home from Marineford, when she decided to finally show off months of hard work come to fruition.

She practiced for months to walk inside her cramped crib, and on the soft carpet when her mom wasn't looking (which was very rare).

She wanted it to be a surprise. Guess she takes up from Alexander. Like father, like daughter.

It was during an early morning in March when she finally put her surprise plan into action. She cried loudly to get her breakfast, and afterwards, she would stand on the side of the crib and shake it to indicate she wants to be let out.

Melody proceeded unknowingly as planned. She let her out the crib for a stretch and Alexander (as expected) followed close by as he declared missed his *unica hija dearly, for about the eighth time.

He stood close by and watched her crawl around, with compliments thrown every 0.0005 seconds about how she's grown from the last time he's seen her.

_*"Its Showtime." _Brielle inwardly laughed at the unintentional reference and began to push herself so that she could stand.

Her parents watched with great interest, until the next set of footsteps shocked them.

"Brielle! You-you're taking you're first steps!" Alexander gasped as he realized what her daughter attempted to do.

"QUICK! GET THE DENDEN-MUSHI!" Melody yelled at her husband, she wanted to record and Brielle's first greatest achievement and keep it in her memory forever.

"ON IT!" Alexander complied and made a mad dash upstairs to fetch the said device. He grabbed the unsuspecting snail and hurriedly went back downstairs. In a span of five seconds, which was his new personal record.

"Did I miss it?!" Alexander panted and gave the mushi to his wife. He then watched in anticipation as her daughter, although she wobbled stood strong.

"No, not at all, thanks honey, now go on Brie! Come to Mommy and Daddy!" Melody encouraged Brielle who was about a meter away from the two.

Brielle looked unsteady on her feet, but she was more than determined to walk towards her mom and dad.

"That's it, common, just a little more…!" The two beckoned her to approach them, and reached their arms for her to take.

"_Common baby legs! Work! You can do it!"_ Brielle thought as she focused her leg muscles to move forward.

When she finally reached them, she decided to pull another surprise hidden under her non-existent sleeves.

"M-Mama! D-Dada…..!" Now this, put the icing on the cake. Not only did she walked her first walk, she also spoke her first words!

(As if she wasn't tired hearing 'Mama' while Melody pointed at herself, and 'Dada' while she showed her a picture of her dad. She wasn't that dumb, she just couldn't talk properly yet.)

It was at that moment when all hell broke loose. Her parents were about to lose their sh- sanity. Loud squeals were heard in the whole village, their house being the epicenter of the high-pitched sounds.

This made her close neighbors worried that something bad happened to the family that they actually ran and slammed the door open so hard that it probably unhinged the door.

"What happened?! Is everyone alright?! Are you oka-" One of the concerned neighbors asked before his words died at his throat.

They were greeted by the sight of Alexander mid-squeal crying his eyes out, holding Brielle high up in the air, and Melody, who was also in mid-squeal but instead holding a denden-mushi in one hand and a wet handkerchief on the other.

Boy were they confused as heck.

Alexander quickly cleaned up his act put back his respectable dignity and tried to hide his embarrassment and explained the situation to their unexpected guests.

He then had an epiphany.

"Wait! You know what this calls for? A PARTY!" Alexander screamed while their neighbors yelled "YEAHH" in unison.

They celebrated grandly on this 'momentous occasion'. They held a party and invited the remaining people in the village of Toroa. They rejoiced from dusk till dawn, and Brielle received a lot of presents that day although it wasn't her birthday.

Chiko and Ophelia heard the news and quickly headed over together with their son Byron.

Brielle received a bunch of goodies that day, she got her first ever present from her Uncle Chi and Aunt Lia, she received a bunch of different clothes and a small hand-stitched teddy bear (She already guessed it was the one her aunt made).

The other gifts being a variety of different toys, blankets, books and decorative hair accessories.

It was a day filled with happiness and joy that it was memory to remember not only for the *Merlin Family, but for the whole village as well.

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A/N- Man these chapters are getting longer and longer, hope they're not bothering you guys too much,, I admit there's not much happening in this chapter, but I promise the next chapter would really set up the plot I have in mind. Happy New Year everyone and I hope you have an amazing day. - Diwata

Word Count: 3,698

Date of Publication: December 30, 2019

*unica hija- A term used in tagalog that means "only daughter" or an only child that is a girl.

* It's Showtime – Is a Filipino noon time variety show broadcasted on ABS-CBN One that I like to watch occasionally during the weekends. I used it here both as a phrase and a reference.

*Merlin – Alexander's last name, so his family is referred to as the Merlin Family.

*Kaito – Chiko's last name, and so his family is referred to as the Kaito Family.

(That moment when you accidentally made the perfect scenario that matches up with her age and timeline, it's definitely deserves the "Oh yeah, it's all coming together" meme.)


	6. Chapter 6 - Devising a Plan

A/N- I just realized that if you flip the last two letters of Toroa, it becomes 'Torao' which is Luffy's nickname for Law, yeah, that's about it, you can proceed reading now, happy reading! – Diwata

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"_Speaking"_

"_Thoughts"_

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.**

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At the age of three, Brielle realized she had forgotten something very important.

She had been fairly distracted in her new life and accidentally forgot about all her promised self-obligations.

On the top of that list was to have a journal in which she would write everything she remembered about her past life.

She wanted to keep all her memories from her past life so she could never forget about her parents and all those that she holds dear.

The last thing she wanted to happen was to someday forget about her past life and that she would doubt herself that maybe it was just some distant memory and everything was just a figment of her imagination.

There was actually a rather simple solution to that problem, and that was to write it down in a notebook or a journal of some sort, the only issue being was that she doesn't have one.

She couldn't just ask out of the blue for a notebook, it would be far too suspicious, even if she was a toddler.

She's never been near any of it, nor did anybody taught her what it was. So how on earth would she magically know what it was? Or how would she know what it's called/what it's used for?

It was too risky, from her perspective.

She need to think of a more natural way to get herself a notebook.

The only thing close to a notebook that she has in her room currently, are fairytale books and coloring books, which are not really suitable for recording pivotal information and her personal last life.

While thinking hard after breakfast, it came to her. On her bed, she had devised a plan so fool proof that she couldn't help but give herself a pat on the back for that one.

And so, she proceeded with her master plan, which she named properly as Mission N. She waited patiently for play time, which was around eleven in the morning.

It was when Melody would cook lunch and leave her in her room after she'd baby-proofed the room and place one of those baby fences to keep her from roaming outside and get herself hurt.

With a sinister smirk, she picked up a bright blue crayon that was kept neatly in a box, and started to vandalize the pristine baby pink walls of her room like crazy.

Hard stain-inducing scribbles were drawn all over the walls.

With the guidance of her previous artistic abilities from her life as Bethany Elle, she began to draw crude drawings of the ocean, their house, and to not be scolded as much: a drawing of her family.

She also scribbled a bunch writings in English and Tagalog, so when she did manage to get herself a notebook, it wouldn't come off as weird that she wrote a bunch of systematically placed doodles.

No one would suspect a three-year-old to encrypt her whole life story and the OP world's future in an innocent looking notebook, oh no.

Now, she did feel partially guilty as she would not be the one to clean up her mess, but she still continued to do so not because she wanted to, but because she needed to.

She had drawn on every nook and cranny her little arms could reach. She thought if she was going to be rebellious at least once in her life, then she better make the most of it.

It's either go big or go home, which was nonsense because was in her home.

After putting a mini signature and a mandatory 'Brielle was here' sign, she declared her masterpiece officially done.

A few minutes later, she heard footsteps ascend the stairs. She quickly positioned herself on the floor, while holding a crayon and waited patiently for her parent's reaction.

It was an interesting reaction Brielle noted, she thought as she internally snickered. She had kept a poker face as she allowed her mother to carry her I her arms.

Melody didn't notice at first, but when she turned around after carrying Brielle, she noticed her holding a broken crayon.

She looked around her room, she saw the walls littered with crappy drawings and was gobsmacked. She knew very well who the culprit was, and it was none other than the child she was holding.

Her face contorted into facial expressions of anger, pride, and amazement all at the same time. She looked in disbelief at her daughter's doing.

"Brie…" Melody's voice slowly dissipated in an impending doom. If Brielle squinted hard enough, then she could probably see the menacing aura coming off of her mother.

The room temperature quickly dropped, Brielle almost started apologizing for everything she has ever done in both lives, had she not caught herself and remembered her initial plan.

She was on the verge of scolding her, when Brielle pointed at her drawing of the three of them hugging in a corner.

"Mama, look! Look!" Brielle butted in, as she showed her drawing with high expectations. She batted her eyelashes in fake innocence.

This action made her evade the volcano eruption that would have come from her mother. Brielle watched as Melody's eyes watered.

She was so touched that her daughter drew them in such a loving manner that it made her lips curl up in a smile.

Although her daughter did it in an undignified method of 'wall art', she still appreciated the drawing, it was the thought that counts.

She calmed down and gathered her thoughts before she eventually sighed.

"Do you like it Mommy?" Brielle asked her mom in a cutesy way to further weaken her mother's resolve at scolding her.

"Yes, I-I love it, but Brie, you've been a naughty girl, you shouldn't draw on the walls like that…"

Brielle slowly cried crocodile tears, seemingly upset at something she supposedly didn't know was wrong.

Brielle used tears, which was super effective, and as a result, Melody visibly stiffened, she felt guilt crawl under her skin that she made her only daughter cry.

"I-I'm sorry Mommy, I made you mad…I-I thought-" Brielle's voice wavered as she looked at her mother.

"Hah…..It's alright, I'm not mad, but I guess I'm at fault too, I failed to notice that you've taken an interest in drawing, why didn't you tell me? I could've gotten you a notebook." Melody asked her daughter.

"W-what's a notebook Mommy?" Her daughter sniffed and rubbed the back of her hands on her tear-stained face.

"Oh, that's right! You don't know what that is yet! Ugh Melody you dummy!" Melody blamed herself for not realizing it sooner.

"Well, it's like your coloring books, but instead of having things to color in, it's blank, so you could draw anything you want." Melody explained as she fixed the way she carried her.

"Really?" Brielle's eyes sparkled and she felt giddy at the thought of her finally getting her hands on a notebook, and that her plan was succeeding its purpose.

"I'll buy you some tomorrow, but, you have to promise to Mommy you wouldn't draw on the walls again." Melody said in a firm voice.

"Yes Mommy, I promise!" Brielle replied with a mock salute that was slightly similar to the marines'.

"Alright, so, are you hungry? Let's go have lunch." Melody asked as she carried her downstairs to the kitchen.

Brielle nodded in response and she couldn't stop a smile forming on her face.

"_Mission N, complete! Success!" _Brielle thought happily as she achieved her goal.

She gave herself another rewarding pat on the back for not only coming up with a great plan, but also executing the plan with great precision and succeeding as well.

Kudos!

The next day she had received her much needed writing materials and finally began writing. Her hand writing was wonky at first, illegible even.

Her new body didn't know how to write with a pencil properly, so she decided to practice a bit before she recorded.

It took her a few diligent days before she could properly write. She took daily writing lessons in kanji with her mother for show, and to avoid unneeded suspicion.

In all actuality, she already knew everything already, it was the one great advantage she had received in her second life.

She knew how to read, write, _and_ speak kanji. She just needed some time for her tongue to cooperate with her, and her muscles to learn muscle memory.

Melody would teach her carefully and gave her little activities to further enhance her learning capabilities and learn new words.

Brielle did exceedingly well that her mother praised her frequently for her effort and usually left her on her own after about an hour or so to take care of other things, meaning, she had the entire day left to practice.

After getting the hang of writing once more, she wrote everything she remembered. She admitted that she became rusty, but that only made her even motivated and successfully remembered the important memories of her last life.

She started with the basic information, she wrote her previous name, date of birth, gender, age, nationality, where she resided, her personal likes, preferences and dislikes were.

Next she wrote about her parents, who they were, what they were like, their names, and her other relatives.

She wrote about her friends, the places she's been to, the happy and sad memories. She wrote them all, and against her will, tear drops fell from her eyes.

She found herself crying at the realization that she'll never see her former parents, relatives, friends, everyone, and everything ever again.

She'll forever be homesick and being unable to go back home.

She cried silently, and moved her notebook away to avoid being tear-stained. She stopped for a bit and rested her sore hand from writing.

She slowly wiped her tears and walked towards the bumped window seat. She lifted herself up and sat there quietly.

It was her favorite spot, as she could see the beautiful view of the ocean from way up there. She stayed perched on the window seat for while in order to organize her thoughts and get a move on.

She watched the ocean as the glittering blue waves crashed by the shore. It was a serene sight and calmed her jittery feelings.

She sighed, and finally got a hold of herself. She came into terms of her situation, and she thanked God that she was given a second chance at life.

Sometimes she took things for granted and never appreciated the things that were given to her. This time, she wouldn't make the same mistake again.

If she just cried, complained, gave up and never tried to solve a problem with her own two hands before, then she wouldn't now. Not now, not ever.

She needed to avoid making a repeat of her past life.

This time, she would be different. Instead of doing absolutely nothing about her personal problems under the guise of loathing in self-pity, then she would be the starting cause of her own personal change. To lift her heavy spirit and improve herself for the better.

She needed to open up and have more trust in the people that genuinely love and care for her. She needed to take care and love herself more, because for Brielle, the first step in changing one's self is to accept and love themselves first and foremost.

Only then could she face her problems more openly and grab life by the balls.

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome, was the saying, and that was what she intended to do.

Nobody knows who Bethany Elle is in this world, so she would no longer have the need to carry the burdens of her past.

She was free, free from her self-deprecating thoughts. She was a new person now, and she would become a lot stronger for the harder times ahead.

She would push herself harder and become the person she's never expected her to be.

With a firm resolve, she continued to write, and with the last of her memories jotted down, she stretched her back and decided to take a much needed nap.

When she woke up, her mother called her downstairs for dinner, and after a few chit-chats with her, she retreated back to her bedroom.

She sat crisscross applesauce, and placed a different notebook unlike before, and pulled out a pen. She realized that, what made her a danger to this world was that she held the knowledge of how the events of the future would unfold.

She knew secrets about the marines and pirates alike, and that if she ever felt bold enough to play her cards dangerously, then she could easily blackmail, change the entire timeline, or probably mess with key characters that would eventually elicit change in the whole One Piece plot itself.

Either way, she needed to write down her most important assets, her knowledge. She had mentioned it before, and she would continue to say it again. Knowledge is power.

"Now, how do I start…" Brielle whispered to no one.

She felt a bit anxious of what she was about to write. If someone ever got their hands and successfully decoded her writings, then what would happen next would be the result of a major oopsie on her part.

"Wait, before that, what language do I use…?" The child thought hard.

She only knows two languages that this world didn't know about: English and Tagalog, so there really wasn't a hard decision to make, but what she needed was to make some sort of code.

What she quickly had in mind was the Vigenère Cipher. All she needed was an alphabet grid, and a keyword and she'll be ready to encode.

It was a method of encrypting words using an alphabet grid and well, it was hard to explain. How she knew of using such a code was because of watching game theory way back, and in one episode, she learned how to use it. She was glad to know it came in handy one day.

Taking a blank piece of graphing paper she kept in her drawer that she found lying around near her father's room last week, she proceeded to make the said grid.

After a painful 20 minutes of writing the English alphabet over and over again, she was finally done. She decided to encode the names of certain people, devil fruits, attack names, places, dates, and other important details in different codenames first.

She ended up choosing Tagalog, because she remembered that people sometimes used English names to name their attacks, so there could be a slight probability that someone in this world uses English, and so to be safe, Tagalog is the way to go.

Using the keyword 'dagat' the Tagalog equivalent of sea, she proceeded to make secret codenames for the various information. She named them appropriately first. For example, she'd name the big shots equivalent to colors in her native language:

Gold Roger – Ginto (gold)

Whitebeard – Puti (white)

Shanks – Pula (red)

Big Mom – Rosas (Pink/Rose in color)

Kaido - Itim (Black)

She'd name the future Shibukai as various words that correlates to them:

Mihawk – Espada (sword)

Kuma – Oso (bear)

Boa – Ahas (snake)

Moria – Anino (shadow)

Crocodile – Bayawak (crocodile)

Jimbei – Tubig (water)

Doflamingo – Tali (string/rope)

Those are just some of what the child wrote in code. She now felt safe and secure, maybe even confident that there is at least some level of secrecy that no one would know what she knows.

She made a makeshift pocket at the back of the said notebook, which fortunately had a hard cover.

She put a slit in it and there she placed the alphabet grid she made and the list of the Tagalog equivalent of the codes written within the book inside the slim pocket, just in case she forgot.

Now that she got that out of the way, the child continued to write in the dark with a little lamp to light her room. The truth was, she had been writing for hours now, it was way over midnight, and her mom was already fast asleep it the other room.

She couldn't stop writing as she was so engrossed with what she was doing that she forgot the time altogether.

By the time she finished, it was already two in the morning. She put down her pencil at last and gave her hand and fingers the rest it needed.

She stretched her back and finally laid down on her bed, but still she couldn't fall asleep despite how tired the child was. Her head was occupied with many things that she couldn't let herself rest just yet.

She thought of possibilities she might cause to alter the storyline, and what would be the drastic results. Would she be willing to risk the unknown for her personal doings?

She couldn't predict the future, though in some instances she could, prior to her knowledge, but that was about it.

She didn't know what would occur if something totally unexpected happened and render her stocked information useless.

She sighed, and let the future be, what's more important was that, whatever might happen, she better be prepared for that rollercoaster of a ride.

She thought of other things, like what she would do if she ever encountered Luffy, _the_ Monkey D. Luffy? Son of the most wanted man in the world, the grandson of the marine hero Vice Admiral Garp, and the brother of both the future Fire Fist Ace and Chief of Staff Sabo.

Did she forget to mention that in the future he would obtain a FREAKING FLEET?! The Strawhat Grand Fleet?! Which was during the Dressrosa Arc.

She would probably lose it. In her last life, she has always loved Luffy as a character, not _in_ love or in a romantic way, but just she couldn't help but love the guy. She loved him platonically, like a brother, or maybe even as her own son.

He had many charming qualities, such as being friendly, perseverant, honest, fun-loving, adventurous, and the list goes on and on.

For Brielle, she's never encountered anyone like him, a person so hell-bent on making nakama that no one can resist his overflowing charisma.

For a pirate, he was actually a really good person at heart, a bit childish, but that made his youthful personality radiate and give off a refreshing vibe.

He has the most fearsome ability of making friends out of anyone, even his former enemies, like Bon Clay, Mr. 3, Buggy, Hatchi, and even good 'ol Crocy.

She can say confidently that he can make allies out LITERALLY anyone, he can round them up and have them at his side. She was not even kidding, it was a factor that made the boy even more lovable for Brielle.

Heck, he could even be friends with Akainu if not for—yeah, she doesn't want to think about that. She wasn't ashamed to admit she cried for weeks because of that, and the whole flashback thing that followed made it the feeling even worse.

As much as she hated to see the loving brother die, she could understand that it was the major turning point, the climax, and a point of maturity for Luffy to realize that sometimes, he cannot dive head first into situations unprepared, and also it used to give a much needed character development.

But that didn't mean she's gonna let that happen this time, could she?

Ahhh, the memory made her cry yet again, Ace that boi, she wanted to give that fiery bean the love he deserves.

Maybe in the future, where she can be independent and venture of to sea, she could, but in the meantime, all she could do was patiently wait when that time comes.

Brielle could only daydream at two in the morning. She then said her prayers, before she finally settled in and drifted off to sleep.

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A/N – Yeah, Brielle's finally got her shizz together. Hope you like this chapter, and I hope you all have a good one – Diwata

Word Count: 3,322

Date of Publication: January 1, 2020


	7. Chapter 7 - A Pocket Full of Surprises

A/N – Warning, there are mentions of death, so please read with care. There is also an important announcement at the end, so if it's not much of your time, please read it. Without further ado, happy reading! - Diwata

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Another year passed and little Brielle was almost four.

Morning came and Melody and invited her to come down with her to eat breakfast.

They had a simple breakfast, scrambled eggs and sausages for protein, accompanied with apple slices for dessert and orange juice to push it all down.

Brielle was about to go to the living room when her mother's question stopped her mid-way.

"Brie, how about we go to Aunt Lia's place? Byron said he wanted to play with you since yesterday afternoon, but you were already fast asleep." Melody asked Brie as she put away the dirty dishes and washed her hands on the sink.

"Really? Then we have to go there! I wanna see what they're doing!" Brielle replied enthusiastically, running back to the kitchen to know about more.

"Then I take that as a yes, let's give you first a bath and then we can go there." Her mother said as she wiped her hands on a nearby kitchen towel.

"Yay!" Melody's daughter replied, jumping in excitement.

After a much needed bath and other essential things, they were off to the Kaito's residence.

Brielle grew up with her playmate Byron, who was her Uncle Chi and Aunt Lia's son.

At first she thought that she wasn't going to enjoy the company of another baby just because of her mental age, but she soon ate her words afterwards when Melody brought her to their place for the second time after the major party. (from the last chapter).

Her motherly instincts kicked in and she actually became a sort of older sister figure to her older friend. She would play with Byron with either his or her toys, as both weren't selfish to hoard all their toys for themselves.

Byron, although he was a baby, was quite fun to be with. He was a sweet baby boy and was always sharing with her his toys, which she found to be a very rare occurrence. It was also fairly amusing for Brielle when he would do stupid things that she already warned him not to do.

She got a good laugh that one time during dinner when Byron reached for a lemon slice on the table. She tried to pry the sour fruit away from his buttery hands, but he refused to, and made a large bite, to which he immediately regretted.

She laughed at his facial expression and wore a face that screamed 'I told you so'.

That taught Byron to always listen to her in any way.

Melody, who was holding Brielle by the hand, ringed the doorbell on the gate of the house in front of her. She was greeted by Chiko on his way out for work and welcomed them inside. He then left in a hurry, presumably to his workshop.

They entered inside the house and was greeted with an overly excited boy. Byron appeared from the kitchen, bounced in excitement and happily approached the two.

"Brielle! You're here! Hi Aunt Mel!" Byron said excitedly, he ran and sat himself next to Brielle on the high sofa and swung his feet rhythmically.

Ophelia came out of the kitchen soon after her, and greeted her guests with a tray of refreshments for them to drink.

"Hi Byron! Hi Aunt Lia!" Brielle greeted with a smile.

"Hi Lia, hello there Byron, I brought Brielle just like you've asked." Melody teased the boy lightly as he had taken a liking to her daughter.

She knew it was platonic, but she never missed a beat to tease her kinda-nephew.

"Aunt Mel!" Byron half-shouted, his cheeks tinted red. Embarrassed by the comment, he pouted and crossed his arms in reponse.

"Hello Mel, hello to you too Brielle, and don't be mad Byron, Aunt Mel was just teasing you. Now, why don't you go with Brielle, your Aunt and I are gonna have an adult-talk now." Ophelia said as she ushered the children to play by the sidelines.

"Okay Mama, common Brie! Let's go play!" Byron said with a smile, and tugged on Brielle's wrist towards their usual play area.

"So, what are we gonna play today?" Brielle asked Byron as he was looking for something in his toy box.

"Hmmmm, I dunno, what do _you _want to play_?_" The blonde boy asked, and closed off the box to look at Brielle.

"Well, how about we draw something?" Brielle suggested and reached for her mini backpack.

"Draw? What kinda game is that?" Byron asked his friend partially confused.

"Drawing isn't a game silly, it's like you look at something, and try to uhh, wait, let me just show you."

Brielle prompted as she sat down near a low table and placed her pad paper and box of crayons she brought with her.

She patted her hand on a chair next to her and Byron sat next to her curious about what the 'drawing thing' was.

She tore a piece of paper from her pad, and gave it to him, she also lent him her crayons.

"It's like this, you see the flowers on the vase?" Brielle pointed at a flower vase filled with fresh flowers.

"Yeah"

"Well, I try to copy it using my hands! I use a crayon and uh, try to make it look like the flowers!" Brielle tried her best to explain without using complicated words.

She then proceeded to draw the said flowers using her different colored crayons. When she finished, she showed it to Byron.

It was indeed the same flowers, just with a different color scheme. Brielle actually drew quite well for an almost four year old and it amazed the boy that he was intrigued by her talent.

"Ohhhh so it's like that huh." He nodded to himself in understanding.

"See? It's really fun to do! Here, use this and try it for yourself!" Brielle offered a crayon and giggled as she encouraged her playmate to try and do the activity.

"A-Alright" Byron replied and gave himself a try. He reached for the crayon offered to him and began drawing on the blank piece of white paper.

Brielle watched closely at what he was drawing. He looked like he enjoyed the newfound activity and drew a bunch of little drawings on the paper, but one stood out among the rest.

When Byron deemed himself to be done, he proudly showed his friend his very first set of drawings.

"This is a drawing of you and me. I know, it's not as good as yours, but, I hope you like it! It's all yours!" He beamed at her, and she felt her heart melt into goo at the drawing.

It was a drawing of the two of them of what looked like them playing with their toys. It was not the best looking drawing, but she could care less of how it looked, because all that mattered was the thought and how diabetically sweet it was.

"Awww! I love it! Thank youuuu!" Brielle thank Byron and gave him a big hug.

The two laughed, and gained the attention of the two adults who secretly watched their interactions.

"L-Lia! H-help! m-my heart ughhh….!" Melody said as she clutched her chest and leaned over Ophelia for support.

"I feel you Mel…! Ahhh they're so cute!" Ophelia replied as they gushed over their children.

"Should we set up an arranged marriage now Lia? I'm sure Alex would certainly agree!"

"And I suppose Chiko won't say no too! I know so!"

Both ladies laughed heartily at their words and the two jokingly began a secret agreement between their respective children.

"_Mom, what the heck." _Brielle thought as she overheard her mom and aunt's sketchy conversation, and quivered at the idea. She squinted her eyes at the two women and decided to pay no mind to their conversation.

Like she would agree to that arranged marriage without her consent, absolutely not! Her household was a democracy!

"Ophie dear! I'm back!" Chiko's voice was heard loud and clear inside the house, his presence was quickly noticed.

"Ah! Papa's here! Hi Papa!" Byron exclaimed and hurriedly went to greet his father in the living room.

"Hi son." Chiko hugged his son in a big bear hug before he let him down in one swift movement, earning a laugh from Byron.

"Now come here, I got something for you and your friend here."

Those words immediately gained the attention of the two kids.

Brielle followed after Byron, and greeted the man with a bow. Chiko gave his kinda-niece a rub on the head and a big toothy smile.

"Hello Uncle Chi"

"Hey there kiddo, now, I got a surprise for you two."

That statement caught Brielle's attention, she was a sucker for surprises and it never ceased to bore her.

Chiko pulled something out of a large bag and showed the two children what it was.

Brielle's eyes sparkled at the instrument before her. Chiko gave her a black bag, and in it, was an ukulele which seemed to be crafted by none other than the man himself.

"I heard from your mom that you've been interested in music, and you're birthday's coming up real soon, right Brielle? So, this is an early gift from your Uncle."

Chiko handed the instrument over to the anticipating kid. The moment her hands touched the gift, she felt herself connect with the instrument immediately.

"Your Aunt Lia can help you learn how to play it, it's fairly easy to play, and I know you'll like it." Chiko smiled at the positive reaction Brielle gave him when he handed his gift.

It was like déjà vu and the familiar strings of the ukulele felt so natural to her touch. She admired the careful craftsmanship of the stringed instrument. She knew her uncle was a skilled craftsman but this really heightened her standards.

It was a beautiful wooden ukulele with intricate carvings along the neck and body. It was truly a work of art and she could very much cry at the sight of the instrument.

"T-thank you so much Uncle Chi! I love it!" Brielle exclaimed with pure joy and had nothing else to say than strings of gratitude for the man.

"Oh! And don't forget about this, it's something that your Aunt Lia thought of to accompany the ukulele, it's supposed to make the pitch go higher." Her uncle gave another small present, which looked like a make shift capo.

Brielle couldn't thank the family enough for giving her such a wonderful gift.

Byron on the other hand, received a flute with the same intricacy as Brielle's ukulele, and was more than happy to receive another gift from his father. He thanked his dad and the two children began experimenting with their brand new instruments.

After a quick *merienda, Brielle and Melody spent the day there, before headed back home at four in the afternoon.

Brielle's excitement haven't subsided once she got her hands on her precious ukulele.

She settled in her room, and reached for an unused little notebook she's been keeping for a while inside her drawer and decided it would be her new little songbook.

When the familiar instrument touched her fingertips, she was reminded of all the songs she's ever learned to play on the ukulele.

Back in her past life, she bought an ukulele on a whim, and although she had her interests, she never really knew how to play it.

So, she taught herself how to play, and as expected, it was a lot easier to play than the guitar. Soon enough she's learned quite a lot of songs already and with months of practice, became a decent ukulele player.

With little muscle memory of her playing the different chords and strumming patterns, she had to get used to it all over again, not to mention having to tune the ukulele every single day as the strings were new and it needs to get stretched to a certain length until its permanent and hold their tune well.

"Alright let's start with a simple C chord…" Brielle muttered to herself and placed a single finger on the fourth string of the third fret.

She strummed, and what came out of the instrument was a beautiful shrill sound that vibrated in the hollow inside of the instrument.

"Aaahhh I've missed playing the ukulele." She sighed happily, and proceeded to relearn the playing the ukulele for the next months.

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Another year passed during Brielle's peaceful stay in Toroa, West Blue and it was filled with happy memories that she would soon keep very dearly.

Her father came home, and the little girl was more than happy to see his loving father again.

It was during this specific stay when she found out that his father, was in fact, an amazing dancer. It all happened at yet another party that her mother held for him.

She convinced him enough to show off his skills, for both his daughter and the townspeople to see.

Brielle was confused at first, but sat tight to watch how the events unfold.

Surprised was the only thing that could describe what she saw and what she felt.

Her father was utterly amazing on the dance floor. His moves were fluid and precise like water, and he was always on beat with the drums and bass that thumped in the room.

She didn't know her father harbored a secret like this, she was mesmerized by his movement. It was like the people around him were entranced, and allured them like an enchantress would, while Melody looked at the scene in amusement.

His talents were displayed and his dancing styles weren't for a single genre of dance either. It seemed like God has blessed him too much, overfilling the cup of talent her father owned.

The matine captain just so happened to know ballroom dances, social dances, hiphop, popping dance, and even r&b.

She wasn't ashamed to say she never fangirled so hard for her own father until that night.

After the dance-filled party, Brielle was determined to learn a thing or two from her father, to which he so gladly obliged.

She didn't really had that great of an interest in dancing before, but she did like the feeling of dancing and how much freedom it made her feel.

The only thing that prevented her from pursuing dance were her insecurities.

Since she was already dead-set on turning over a new leaf, she decided to give it a try for a change.

There was nothing inherently wrong about the idea, and she was up with trying new things, with the addition of the guidance from her father, there wasn't any real excuse for her not to do so.

Alexander was happy her daughter showed interest in dancing and immediately prompted to teach her everything he knew about dancing.

The following day he taught his little princess the basics of his dance, after a proper stretch and proceeded to watch over her daughter learn in pride.

Turns out, she did manage to inherit his genes when it comes to dancing. She was a natural, and followed the steps her father gave with ease.

The dance lessons continued for the course of his father's stay and acted as a kind of bonding time between father and daughter, and by the time he was to leave again, he encouraged Brielle to keep practicing while he was gone, and promised a mini dance battle by the time he returned.

Brielle was up for a challenge with her old man, and gladly accepted the offer. She once again said goodbye to her dad and continued to go on with her day.

Melody, on the other hand was contemplating on something.

She did not want to feel left behind forming a special bond with her daughter. So, she decided to teach her a special secret that she might be old enough to learn and need in the future.

With much thought and consideration, Melody made up her mind and later that day, she approached her daughter.

Brielle was currently practicing her moves in front of the mirror. She immediately stopped what she was doing when she saw her mother enter the room to listen to her mother.

Melody wasn't sure how to properly explain what she wanted to teach her daughter, but she did the best she could under the guise of…..singing lessons.

She thought it was the best approach, because for some time now, she had caught her daughter singing behind closed doors in an unfamiliar language.

Maybe she was just humming to something using incoherent words because of her influence. She hadn't really taught her any of her songs and she must have been imitating her.

Oftentimes she would sing to Brie, and she knows that her daughter loves her songs so much, that she would always ask her to sing more.

Maybe it was the right time for her to also hone her daughter's talent in singing.

From what she had heard, her daughter possessed a light and airy quality. Guess she could say proudly it came from her side of the genes, as her husband was a terrible singer (not to boost her ego or something).

Though inexperienced, she can conclude that her daughter already had it in her, and with a few polishing here and there, she reckons she'd become as good, if not better than her at singing in the near future.

The real lessons she wanted to teach her daughter for the most part, were a set of skills used to train the user's voice to do a wide variety of things. Most of which was very practical in surviving terrains with many enemies or lurking danger.

If trained hard enough, one can manipulate their voice to affect people in more ways than one. It was a special technique that only Melody's family line practiced and perfected for generations.

Her family were gifted with a lineage of beautiful voices, to which they mastered and honed flawlessly to develop attacks and defenses. It then became tradition and their family duty to pass down their knowledge for the next generations.

It was a series of techniques compiled and rightfully named as a book called "The Songs of a Siren".

It was a homage for their ancestors who created and contributed to its contents.

The true reason behind the creation of the book was a bit of an enigma, but the most plausible reason believed was because of the circumstances that pushed them on edge and against their will.

The book was made in response to the situation they encountered during that time, long, long ago.

A little over a hundred years ago, their ancestors lived a relatively peaceful life. However, after the changing tides and the creation of the World Government, things began to change for the worst.

A conflict arose between the World Government and her ancestors. Their vocal refusal to serve under them caused a large string of events that made them a major target of the World Government.

So much so that after a week of dispute, they were greeted with an army of marine ships equivalent to that of a Buster Call ready to blast them out of existence, and had the Cipher Pol dispatched at their necks.

How her ancestors survived after the onslaught was a mystery, but it was clear that the incident prompted them to flee for their lives and tread the knife for survival.

Since they weren't fighters by nature, they had to be creative and find a way to defend themselves from their hunters.

This lead to a development that paved the way to make use of their majestic voices.

They used it to attack, defend, and protect themselves from their pursuers and successfully stood their grounds against the World Government.

This events were kept under rags from civilian's eyes over the last a century to avoid a bad reputation, but her ancestors managed to keep themselves alive and even start anew under the radar of the World Government.

Time, ever so gracefully passed, and although the hunt was inevitably pulled back to avoid suspicion, Melody's ancestors continued their practices on to their children, grandchildren, so on and so forth if they were ever hunted again.

The Songs of a Siren altered the user's voice to become more flexible than rubber, and ranged to such lengths that no one outside their family could ever imagine the possibility.

A voice so enchanting, it made the hearers obey their every command and fall into submission, much like the emperor's will. In a very rare chance that the user did manage to possess such wills, then the effect would be amplified ten-fold.

A pitch so high that it could and pierce the enemies' eardrums and become deaf, both momentarily and permanently.

A pitch so low that it could cause the ground to quake in different magnitudes.

A voice so emotionally manipulative that could control other's emotions at will. If used proficiently can be utilized to tamper person's emotional state and make them vulnerable, which is always an advantage in large areas.

An otherworldly tune that made the hearers hallucinate vividly as if what they are imagining was reality itself.

A melody so addictive that not even a single soul that heard it could escape its immeasurable clutches.

The listeners were reduced into a zombie-like and scrambled on their feet just be near the source of the voices and once the singing stopped, they were driven into madness with side effects such as screeching and paranoia, and in rare cases, killed themselves from being unable to hear the addicting melody ever again. It was a form of sick torture.

And lastly, the most powerful of all, a song so deadly that it possessed the power to lure people to their deaths, much like a true siren.

It was said to be so intoxicating that anyone in the vicinity would throw away any logical thinking and absentmindedly began to follow whatever the song told them to. It was like a permanent hypnosis, under a spell of pleasure with a promise of death in it's wake.

It was like a moth to a fire, a fly caught inside a Venus flytrap.

Once heard, there was no turning back. The victims signed their deaths willingly, and accepted their demise.

Under the control of the quote on quote 'siren's' command, the user would sing a song about death, to which the listeners without resistance would do exactly what the song suggests them to do.

The original scenario was that the listeners killed each other with their fists, and those that remained drowned themselves into the deepest depths of the sea thinking it was a call from the heavens to leave the cruel world and enter paradise. It was a sick murder-suicide command.

It was completely up to the user's creativity on what the command wanted them to do as long as the victims died by the time the song ended.

It was the agreement embedded when using the song, however, there was always a catch to holding that amount of power.

That song was called "Elysium" and it was used strictly for dire situations, and was often advised not to use it in general. It was a kid of bet they didn't want to take.

It was like a double edged sword that might seemingly be the most powerful song, could potentially harm the user themselves if not skilled enough to perform the song. Its results were always unpredictable, but one thing was for certain. After it was sung, there would be death of some kind.

That was the fate of the original writer of the song. She ended her life shortly after she sang the complete song.

That person was the creator of most of the songs written within the book was a beautiful woman named Agatha.

In a desperate attempt to save her family from an unexpected ambush the ruthless marines, she sacrificed herself and held the group of bloodthirsty men away for her family for them to successfully escape.

It was a complete massacre. After the song, the smell of copper and corpses wafted in the air. It was suffocating, and every inch of the area was covered in crimson shades. A single bloody woman stood atop the carcasses of men, laughing in victory, in a fit of insanity before she fled the scene and ended her own life, never to be seen again.

It was believed that she had drowned herself, as what was left of her existence was a necklace that she always wore washed ashore and was later found by her relatives.

She was honored for her act of bravery and they held her name with high regards. She was remembered as a mighty fighter and savior.

The necklace was the last tangible relic left of her existence and it was a pearl necklace which was turned into a prized family heirloom that was passed from generation to generation.

It yellowed over time, and in the present day, was owned by none other than the loving mother Melody, the latest generation of her family tree.

Although Melody thought the history of her ancestors and how the book of said techniques made her stomach churn, it was unmistakably useful in combat certainly a handy thing to know considering the threats that the pirates nowadays brought on about.

She was also keen about her daughter's adventurous bouts, and it was something that would develop into a yearning escapade.

She was curious by nature, much like herself, and she could feel it in her intuition, that she would be out and exploring the world. Of course she wouldn't stop her from doing so, Brielle was free like a child under the sun, but that didn't stop her from worrying.

The solution she could come up with to ease her worries, was to teach her daughter everything she knows starting at a young age.

She herself was also trained at a young age, but she never truly had the chance to properly use her knowledge of the songs, thankfully, but she wasn't at all rusty.

The techniques that were drilled into her skull (curtsey of her mother Carolinne) would last her until her second life.

All her hard work poured into learning everything was her pride, and she could efficiently teach her daughter the basics for now, and the more complicated stuff in her later years.

She called her daughter to come sit with her on her bed. She patted the soft mattress with a smile.

"What is it Mommy?" Brielle asked, whilst looking up at her bright green eyes.

"Well, I know you're busy and all with you and your Dad's dance contest, but, I want to ask you something veeery important."

Brielle's eyes widened, and her heart slammed against her chest.

"_Did she figure out something? Nononono, she can't possibly know, I hid it so well! M-maybe there was a flaw?"_

Brielle's thoughts raced, and she nervously approached her bed, scared of what her mother might ask of her. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, and swallowed her saliva. With one deep inhale, she faced her mother.

"Wh-what is it Mommy?" Her voice failed to hide her nervousness.

"What do you wanna do when you grow up?" Melody asked with an innocent smile.

"_Th-that's it? Phew, for a second there I thought I blew my cover, well there's one thing I wanna do in the future, I want to explore and seek what this world has to offer, and as much as I love it here in Toroa, I don't want to stay here forever…"_

"Uhhh I wanna do lots of things Mommy! I wanna explore the world! And! And! Travel to many places and go on an adventure!" Brielle explained with a giddy smile of her own.

The way her eyes sparkled, and with clear conviction, Melody concluded that her sharp intuition was right. This solidified her thoughts, and she was now determined to finally pass down the torch onto her daughter.

"Ohhh, then what about the baddies? What if they stop you? Some people aren't always nice like the people here you know." Melody asked her, elevated to hear her daughter's reply.

"Then, I'll fight them off! So I can continue to! No one can stop me from reaching my dreams!" Brielle exclaimed as she raised her fits high up in the air.

"_That's my girl"_ Melody thought in pride and didn't dare to fight off her growing smile at her daughter's determination.

"Oh my, what a brave daughter I have, but, don't you think you're going to need help to get stronger and beat the bad guys?"

"Mn! But- I don't know who to ask, Daddy's always gone, and-"

"Well, what if I told you Mommy can help you with that?" Melody suggested

"Really Mommy? Do you know how to fight? That's so cool! When can we start? Can we do it today?" Melody was assaulted with a flurry of questions.

Melody chuckled and replied,

"Of course I can! But I'm going to warn you, it's not gonna be easy, but we can't start today, we'll start early tomorrow morning alright? I still gotta plan some things first." Melody said, as slowly she stood up from Brielle's bed.

"Okay Mommy, and thank youuu!" Brielle thanked her mother with a swift kiss on the cheek accompanied with a happy giggle.

"Ahahaha you're welcome Brie, now go on, you can continue on with your dancing, I'll be downstairs if you need me."

"Okay."

Brielle was surprised at her mother's suggestion but she was overall pleased that she had supported her future plans and she was willing to teach her thing or two, which she was extremely grateful for.

She didn't know exactly what she was going to teach her, which prompted her curious side. Eh, she'll eventually find out tomorrow.

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**A/N – (IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT, PLEASE READ)**

Hey guys, it's me, Diwata, and I got some really important news that I need to tell you guys. I made this chapter extra-long to make up for my absence. The truth is, I am going to go on a hiatus.

I am in no way abandoning this story, it's just because, Christmas break is over (sadly) and the next following months would be very hectic for me.

I have Saturday classes ahead maybe even Sunday classes, and I won't have enough time to write a decent chapter. As much as I want to continue updating, I can't. Another thing is, your gurl is graduating soon, and so, I really need to focus and prioritize my studies first and eventually practice for the graduation itself.

So, because of these reasons, I can't update until April. Maybe sometime in between, I can sneak in a chapter, but no promises though. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, and I hope you guys understand and wait for me until then.

Thank you for all the support and reviews you guys give, it really gives me the motivation to write, and I hope you all have an awesome day, bye bye for now, and I'll see you in a few months' time.


	8. Chapter 8 - The Start of Training

A/N- Hey guys! I'm back, and remember last time, when I told you guys I was going on a hiatus because I was graduating? Yeahhh about that, because of covid-19 our place is under an enhanced community quarantine and all classes are suspended, and well, that means my graduation is postponed until further notice. I guess I'm free to write and update now, and I missed writing and, so, here it is! I hope all of you are safe and sound. Remember to always wash your hands, avoid crowded places, and when outside, wear a face mask. That is all, and happy reading! -Diwata

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"_Speaking"_

"_Thoughts"_

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.**

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In the middle of the night, at about 11:30, Melody was still preoccupied with a lot on her hands as she shifted her attention from notebook to notebook.

She sat on an oak chair and constantly flipped the pages of her notebooks, underlining and marking essential words that prove to be crucial in her plan.

Her usual clean and tidy work table was no more, there was clutter everywhere, and in short her bedroom was a mess.

Papers were scattered everywhere some heavily underlined and encircled. Pens and pencils were uncharacteristically sprawled all over on both her table and on her bed, and a seemingly antique book stood out like a sore thumb against the newer-looking set of notebooks.

The light of the moon penetrated within the dark walls of her room, and with only a small lamp to allow light to shine through her work, Melody's eyes squinted.

It had been well over three hours since she started writing, and she was fairly tired from staying up so late, but she needed to, as it was all for her dearest daughter. She needed to create an effective pseudo-lesson plan for Brie.

She thought well and hard to produce the single most perfect teaching method to bring out her daughter's best qualities and allow her to absorb every bit of knowledge she would pour onto her.

"I'm gonna make sure she'll absorb our teachings like a sponge, to be both book and street smart when it comes to this kind of thing. Experience is key after all, but I'm sure she'll handle it, I know she can."

Melody muttered to herself, her eyes darted back and forth on her notebook, and the writings on a dusty, and obviously worn out book.

The pages browned over the years and yet its solid bind made it near impossible to fall apart.

A series of poems and free verse paragraphs were written within the contents of the book. On some parts, there were sheets of music embedded on the later pages.

There were also a handful of scribbles written all around the sides and edges of the paper, of what looked like important notes and rewritten versions of the original work.

It was a rather thick book, it spanned about an inch thick by the pages, with a copper-colored leather cover, and various pages sticking out the side of the book.

There was only absolute silence, aside from the skidding of a pen against the prim white pages of her pseudo lesson plan.

The mother was in deep thought, eminent from her furrowed brows, and downturned lips.

"Huh, if I teach her this, would there be drawbacks? I mean, it took me almost a month to perfect it! Can she even handle this one? It's a bit complicated, but with enough practice, she can do this in no time! But….can she? Ughh I need to analyze this further."

Melody murmured tiredly to herself, she stopped writing for a moment and massaged her temples. Her vision began to blur, and her eyes slowly blinked and closed against her will.

A lengthy yawn escaped from her pouty lips.

"No, not yet,- I still need to-" Melody uttered sleepily, before her body collapsed onto the cold hard desk and betrayed her.

Worn out from her work, her body simply gave up, and a little while later, faint snores were heard.

With her lamp left open, it would certainly spike up their electricity bill.

She fell asleep in an uncomfortable position, with her back hunched over, arms slid across the desk unnaturally, and her face limp on the side.

A sore and stiff neck was to be expected first thing tomorrow.

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The sun rose from the east to indicate another day. The morning breeze was cool and refreshing. The previous night was undeniably tiring for Melody, who woke up suddenly with a jolt.

"Urk! Huh? Who? Wha?"

The mother looked franticly around her, only to realize the events that occurred last night.

"Huh? Oh yeah….ugh, my neck….!"

She massaged her stiff neck with her fingers. She stood up and craned her head slowly to ease the throbbing of her head.

"I should have slept earlier, and on the bed…..wait, what time is it?"

She turned her head to where her wall clock was hung.

"Eight…E-Eight thirty?! It's already THAT late?!" The mother accidentally shouted out of shock.

"SHOOT! Brie must be hungry!" Melody exclaimed and she scurried quickly out of her room before nearly slipping because of the papers littered on the floor.

"Brie?"

Melody peered over her daughter's room and found her still sound asleep. She sighed in relief as she quickly made breakfast in an outstanding speed of ten minutes. Her husband would've teased her for that 'insane new record' as her husband called it.

She whipped up some sandwiches and milk for her daughter, and a cup of freshly brewed coffee for herself, to get a nice shot of caffeine get her energized and ready for the day.

Slight footsteps were heard descending from the stairs. Brielle came down and rubbed her eyes with a yawn.

"G'morning Mommy"

"Morning Brie, are you hungry?"

"uh-huh"

"Alrighty then, let's go and eat breakfast"

The two ate their breakfast until they were satisfied. Melody then took care of the dishes and wiped her hands on their kitchen towel.

"Mommy?"

"Yes Brie?"

"What are you going to teach me again?"

Brielle's innocent eyes looked up at Melody.

"Well, I actually wanted to teach you a thing or two about a special family secret."

"Huh? What's that?"

The girl asked her mother whilst scratching her head, not knowing a clue.

"Before that, let me tell you a story about your great great great grandmother Agatha."

"I have a great great greaaaaat grandmother?"

"Of course you do! If not, then, you and I wouldn't be here."

"Ah! That's right! Oops hahaha"

Brielle gave a shy chuckle, and as a result, Melody chuckled as well. She carefully began retelling her ancestor's story. She tried her best to cover up the gory bits of her family's past, and managed to explain what she wanted her to know, for now.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! You guys have cool superpowers?! That's so coooool! How did you do that?! Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? No wait, just teach me mommy! Teach me!"

Brielle's flurry of questions went on like a sub-machine gun, throwing out questions at 50 mph before she inhaled deeply and almost screeching yelled:

"PLEAAAAAAAAAASE?"

Melody could only chuckle at her daughter's enthusiasm. At least now she was interested, there was now a better chance that she'd learn quicker because of this.

"Of course I will Brie, didn't I told you yesterday I would teach you how to deal with the baddies?"

"Oh yeaaaa, I forgot about it because I was so excited last night!"

Brielle replied bashfully

Melody was happy to see her daughter so eager to learn.

"Now then, we need to prepare ourselves first, before we can do anything yet. Brush your teeth, and after that we'll go and take a shower. After that, we'll go somewhere you've never been to before, okay?"

"Oookayy"

Brielle replied in a sing-song voice and went to brush her teeth. She told her daughter they would start as soon as the both of them showered and got ready.

While brushing her teeth, Brielle can't help but think as to where they were going.

"_Hmmmm, It seems like Mom's planned so much ever since yesterday, I mean look at her eye bags, I don't see those guys everyday. She looks really tired, but she's doing all of this for me, so I better give my best too!"_

Brielle continued to brush her teeth, and stared at the empty sink before her.

"_Speaking of which, I have a pretty awesome lineage like, seriously? My great great great great- uhh how many greats was it again? Nevermind, they use their voices to attack and defend? That's honestly SUUUUUPER COOL. I'm not even doubting this at this point, one piece logic and all that jazz. I'm just hoping the 'training' won't be as harsh as Garp's training. That thing, is absolute hell."_

That last thought sent shivers down the child's spine, she did not want to be on the receiving end of that fist of love.

She went with her mother, they took a bath, and got dressed. Brielle was told to pack a little backpack of her own, and to put in a notebook and a pencil, and maybe even a ball pen.

So the little girl went upstairs into her room, making sure that her mother was busy doing something else, she opened her closet, and hidden underneath her clothes and other personal things was her journal.

She had always been paranoid of getting found out, and although her mother probably won't know all the secrets it holds, she just couldn't help but feel anxious about it, there was no real place to hide it in her room, she's only stalling right now, but sooner or later, Melody would find it and question her about it.

She could play innocent and lie like a dog just to save her sorry bum for getting found out, but, she didn't like lying, especially towards her mother, nor anyone at all at that matter.

Call her a goody two shoes, but she just couldn't lie without good reason. Nevertheless, she could in fact lie, and no one would suspect her innocent face. And contrary to popular belief, she can lie flawlessly, and unquestionably, but it was because the unbearable guilt, and her morals that prevented her from even think of lying.

For her, lying was just wrong.

So in order to avoid suspicion and unwanted question, she formed a habit of constantly changing where she hid her journal.

Sometimes it was in her pillow, sometimes underneath her clothes, but that was a bit risky because she never can never know when her mother was going to do the laundry.

Sometimes, it was underneath her bed, or inside her toy box, way below the surface. She did the changes weekly, and for the last two years that plan actually worked.

Although the hiding attempts clearly worked, there was the saying that all secrets would eventually be uncovered, and that always left her uneasy.

Having the secret of the world and the burden of responsibility was too heavy for a kid like herself, even if she was now a twenty-one year old, mental age-wise.

"_Since I am going to train, I guess I really do need to bring a notebook, to jot down notes and whatnot, now, where did I put my spare notebooks again?"_

The girl rummaged through her things and finally found her needed notebook, and carefully, she took her journal out of her original hiding place, and put it under the mattress, knowing that her mother had only recently changed the sheets, and she wouldn't be snooping anywhere underneath the mattress any time soon.

Content with the safety of her journal, she went downstairs and met her mom, who was busy packing some food, a set of extra clothes all the other basic necessities needed for their "training"

Melody placed her most prized lesson plan she worked all night in her bag, and faced her daughter smiling.

"Ready to go Brie?"

"Let's go!"

The mother and daughter duo exited the house after locking the doors and windows, and the two were off to training.

Melody plans on making good and steady progress from here on out.

She planned on making her gain sufficient stamina first, as her teachings were very energy-consuming and very tiring, but with a proper routine, steady process of building her physical strength, and endurance, she was absolutely sure that her daughter can manage what she throws at her.

The most important thing of all to take care of was her vvoice, it is the bullet to the gun, without, there's no techniques to master.

It needs to always be in tip top shape. She needed to take care of it by avoiding complicated chants at first and to save it for later, when she's more experienced, and so on and so forth.

They were walking for a good five minutes now, and the path was certainly different from what Brielle was used to take.

Their common places were usually on a stone path that was connected to the entire village of Toroa, however this time, Melody lead her onto a different route, they went to a grassy meadow sprinkled with a variety of colored flowers specking the bright green grass as far as the eyes can see.

"Mommy? Where are we going?"

"Somewhere only we know, it's a surprise!"

That did nothing to ease the child's curiosity, she was undeniably overflowing with curiosity and she was itching to know what the surprise was all about.

"Are we there yet?"

"No Brie, but we're almost there."

This cycle went for about five times when finally, after what seemed like forever for Brielle, they arrived to a clearing far away from the village, about a whole 20 minutes away from their house.

It was quite a charming place, facing the ocean. The scent of saltwater was eminent and the gentle sounds of the waves were heard from the distance.

"Woahhh"

Brielle exclaimed in amazement. The place was absolutely stunning. The ocean, the calming atmosphere, everything was just wonderfully serene.

They were pretty much isolated, which was what Melody had intended. She can't afford to risk spilling her family secret to everyone in the village.

She actually found this place a little more than a month ago when she was exploring the village.

Melody made it her personal place, well, until now that is. This will be their new training ground.

"Pretty right? Now I know you're pretty tired, but you'll have to get used to this, because we'll be coming here during weekdays."

This didn't faze the child as she was more focused on the surroundings before her.

"_Wow, this place really looks amazing,, but whew that was a reaaaaallyy long walk, and I have to do this every (week)day? Eh. Its good exercise anyways."_

After a few minutes of resting, Melody stood straight and faced her daughter, and wore a serious expression.

She needed to make sure that what she was teaching her was serious business, and that she, in turn would also take her training seriously, hence the change of demeanor.

"Before we officially start, I need your full and undivided attention, as well as your cooperation. Can you do that for me Brie?"

"MA'AM YES MA'AM"

Brielle replied in a loud and serious voice, is what she thought it sounded, but in reality, it just sounded like a high pitched screech coming from a kid high on sugar.

Melody had to bite her tongue to not laugh at her daughter's response and keep a straight face. She needed to make the atmosphere serious and deadest on making them both feel like training.

"Very good, now, first things first, we need to stretch, and prepare the body for training, we can't just immediately jump into action, that would be very bad for both your muscles and bones."

Melody walked around her daughter like a general inspecting a newly graduate applying for the army.

"It is essential that we do this first and foremost. Now! Stand up straight! Chest out! Stomach in! Chin up! And there is a ball the size of your fist placed in between your armpits!"

The mother/training coach ordered, to which Brie scrambled up to do what her mother ordered. Her form was a bit wonky, and by that her mother fixed her posture and showed her how to do it properly.

Standing straight and tall, Melody shouted her next command to her obedient daughter.

"Isolation of the head! Left, center, right! And then Up center down! 16 counts! Ready—Go!"

Melody showed her daughter how to do it, and did the routine with her daughter to encourage her, and to properly guide her with the best of her abilities.

She just taught her daughter how her mother Carolinne did, but boy was it SO much harsher than this.

Carolinne didn't do the training with her, like what she was doing with Brie. She was more like a trainer who only commanded what she wanted her to do.

When she first started, and couldn't get the warm up right the first time just by listening to her directions, she was given a generous flick on her forehead, and the more she complained, the more she would give her punishment.

Back in her day, she wasn't as patient and polite as she was now. She was a bit of a rascal in her childhood, and as a result, her mother thought of that method as a way to properly discipline her and mold her into a better person with the knowledge of their family secret.

As her own training progressed, the punishment become more pain inducing, which made training no room for making rookie mistakes. Goofing around and ditching training wasn't an option either. It simply wasn't worth it.

The punishments her mother could think of was ten times worse than what she could imagine it to be. Over time, her rebellious phased mellowed out and transformed into fierce determination, and she became the person that she is today.

Carolinne's method of teaching only forced her to become very attentive and always in focus by habit. And even if her road to mastering the techniques was painful and utterly miserable, her training paid off in the end.

By the age of 20, she had already managed to complete the whole book, and even discovered and added a new contribution to the book with her own songs.

All of which couldn't have happened if it wasn't for her dear mother, and because of that, she respects and owes her deeply for putting up with a brat like herself.

Thankfully, Brielle wasn't a brat at all, she was very obedient and over all a good child, so she didn't find the need to EXACTLY copy her mother's training method, well, it was the same thing, except the whole punishment thing.

That thought made her think of writing her a letter soon, or maybe even paying her a visit.

Back to reality.

"Good, next! Isolation of the shoulders! Up-up, down-down"

The mother demonstrated carefully, and little Brie dutifully followed what her mother commanded.

"Isolation of the shoulders! Inwards! And outwards! 16 counts! Go!"

"Isolation of the upper torso! Front, center, back! And left, center, right! 16 counts!"

"Now! Squatting position! Squat! Bend your knees! Straighten your back!"

"Isolation of the lower torso! Front, center, back! And left, center, right! 16 counts!"

"Isolation of the knees! Inwards and outwards! 16 counts!"

"Isolation of the ankles! Point and flex! Ready, Go!"

"Sideward position! Hold your arms out wide! Shoulder level!"

"Rotate your wrists for 16 counts! Inwards! And outwards!"

"Next rotate your arms in a steady and small circle for 16 counts!"

"Now make the circle larger! Rotate your arms fully! Inwards! And outwards!"

"Jumping jacks, now! Then jog in place! Now jump!"

Melody's warm up for training was now in full session. Her loud booming voiced echoed around the clearing.

Her commands only demanded what was asked of her to do, and although she was just a literal five year-old, she was sure she was treating her like a twenty-year year old soldier which she was extremely grateful for.

She couldn't take the training seriously if she kept babying her. So it was unexpected when she pulled a general out of her from nowhere, but she was not that surprised by her sudden authoritative approach.

She figured already that this was some serious business. Judging by the bags present on her eyes, which must be the result of the planning she made, this was in fact, to be taken seriously.

If she wanted to survive, she needed to master what her mother is teaching her now, if she can't even handle the basic warm-ups then she was sure she wouldn't last a day at sea.

After what seemed like an hour (it was only 15 minutes) the warm up was done and she was given a breather.

"Alright Brie, very good, now breathe in- breathe- out" Melody instructed.

"_Whew—finally-done."_

Brielle thought as her baby body was suddenly introduced to a newer routine. It would be a bit sore today, but once she got used to it, it would no longer hurt, and she'd successfully gained more stamina.

Brielle complied, breathing in slowly, and exhaling slowly she regained her breath, and wiped the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Here Brie, I know it's a bit tough at first, but I know you can do it with a little push."

Melody handed her daughter a bottle of water that she immediately chugged down in relief.

"I know too Mommy, I'm gonna do my best! And make you proud!"

Brielle exclaimed with the determination that reflected her previous years. The mother could only smile in pride at her daughter's eagerness and training attitude.

"_Haaahh my daughter is such a good student, hopefully, she'll master every single one of these songs. I'm sure of it."_

Melody thought, and grabbed a water bottle of her own as well, meanwhile, Brielle took out her notebook and began jotting down notes.

She wrote down all the warm-up steps, those isolation movements, the child thought. She proceeded to scribble down what her mother's tips and commands were.

After the break, it was now the time to officially start, the REAL training.

Melody took her lesson plan out, and flipped it on the first page. She stood up and faced Brie, who was now listening attentively to what she was about to say.

"The songs that you are about to learn are a series of techniques that would help you fight and defend for yourself." Melody explained.

"I'll give you a short orientation so that you'll understand the techniques better. Understand?"

"_An orientation is VERY much needed mom, I mean I kinda-sorta spaced out imagining what training it would be, selective hearing and what not, all I heard was that you practically know how to kick butt without even moving a finger and I was sold."_

Brielle thought, and focused her attention to what her mother was going to say.

"Yes mommy"

Melody paced back and forth thinking of a way to properly get her daughter inclined with the family tradition. Honestly, Brielle wasn't as uninterested like she was when she was at her age.

So Melody was just guessing she didn't need to motivate her that much, she's already showed the initiative to learn.

"Alright, you know that what I'm going to teach you is our family's greatest pride, all of which started from your great great great grandmother Agatha, she is the foundress of the songs of a siren, a great and valiant woman. She taught our ancestors how to attack and defend themselves from the bad guys, and after her passing…. The songs were passed onto her eldest daughter, Illathya, who then practiced and mastered her mother's teachings, and also contributed to the contents of the book."

The child nodded, following every word that comes out of Melody's mouth. Her mother didn't suspect anything of her five year old daughter that has a longer attention span than most kids her age.

"_What? So this siren thing has been going on from… how long ago? Didn't mom say great great great? So that means, my grandmother's grandmother's grandmother? That's like about a hundred years ago! Wow that's actually amazing for a family to continue that practice for such a long time now."_

Brielle scratched her chin as she analyzed the information her mother was giving her.

"_Well this is One Piece after all, danger is practically everywhere, and knowing how to stand your ground and fight is a necessity. Huh, this reminds me of the Shandians of Skypiea, years-long tradition of grudge and hatred, all because of that blasted knock up stream that shot them into the sky against their will. AND THAT NOLAND NEVER RETURNED TO SEE CALGARA EVER AGAIN –UWAAAAAA."_

Her eyes watered at the thought and prevented a small sniff that dared indicate her thoughts.

"_That cost Noland his life and reputation, with his shame reaching until his descendant Mont Blanc, well until it has been resolved and taken care of, they now live in peace with the skypieans and Noland's name was cleared, and Mont Blanc Cricket finally got his closure GAHHH—just thinking of it all makes me cry-"_

She quickly wiped away her almost tears, and lightly slapped herself on the cheeks to get herself together, she was going out of focus, thankfully, Melody was narrating her orientation with her eyes closed and didn't catch her spacing out.

She then again put her attention to the task at hand. Melody now opened her eyes and stared back at her daughter, still continuing with her said orientation.

"So on and so forth, our ancestors passed the book to their eldest daughters, who in turn added their own songs and techniques for the newer generations to learn. Now, it had been well over a few decades after our ancestor's time, and the latest owner, is none other than me, your mother. It is my responsibility that you learn what you need to face off against the world or those that would do you harm in the future."

"Ohhh"

Melody observed Brielle and was relieved to see her still at focus, despite how boring she sounds right now. Then again, she was thankful that she didn't find the need to scold and reprimand her for having the normal qualities of a child.

"When the time comes, that you've matured and mastered everything, I will be passing this book to you,"

Melody showed an old and battered looking book in front of her.

"_Oh! So that must be the songs of a siren, seems legit, I mean look at those brown edges, that definitely looks like a hundred year old book."_

Brielle thought and observed the book her mother showed her.

"-and soon, you'll develop a new technique to add to the book just like me and those that came before you. But for now, you are my student and you will be training hard to master its contents and be worthy of being the successor of our ancestors. I'm sure you'll go far, further than I could ever be, and I believe in you, so you better believe in yourself, okay?"

"Okay Mommy! I won't let you down!"

Brielle replied fiercely. She knew the risks, and she was definitely going to master these techniques, whatever those were.

If it meant getting a better shot at life here in this crazy world, then the only option for her was to accept the challenge. As a woman of her caliber and as a descendant of her second life's ancestor.

"Right, since we are at square one, we'll start with the basics. Simple vocal strengthening, and endurance would be our first goal."

Melody began scribbling something on her other notebook, and made small notes on how their progress was going.

"By the end of this week, your normal vocal range, and how long you hold your breath must be twice as much as it is today. Meaning, we'll chart down your initial performance, and compare it by Friday. Is that clear?"

"MA'AM YES MA'AM"

Brielle responded with a mock salute and listened diligently for her first lesson.

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The rest of the day consisted of staccato for volume. It is an activity where one's discipline and capability of manipulating one's vocal volume was put to the test.

Starting off, Brielle learned how to control her voice in its raw state. She was asked to relay a tune her mother demonstrated and mimic it as softly and as whisper-like as she could.

Melody sang a very quiet tune, if the place wasn't dead quiet in their training ground, she wouldn't be able catch the slow and swift melody.

It was a weird experience for Brielle, she knew that her mother was singing very quietly, yet, she could hear her voice echoing inside her head, like bouncing back and forth in her eardrums.

It was so confusing, because visibly, her lips and mouth had little to no movement, but the sound she was hearing was telling her brain otherwise.

She had no idea how that worked, but she was supposed to try and do that as well. It was awkward at first, but Melody was patient and expectant. Slow and steady, her mother said, and she let her figure it out on her own, whilst watching her.

The lesson Melody was trying to teach her was to learn how to be discreet and consistent. That technique would get her a long way if she knew how to direct and safely perform a song without anybody else hearing it except for her target. That way, it would avoid suspicion and unwanted attention to oneself.

The tune was supposed to flow into a steady path, and it needed to be delivered where it was aimed at. Melody taught her how to create that path, by adding more breath to the tune, resulting in a more cold and breathy voice quality.

This went on for about two hours. It was a slow and tedious process, but the little girl was determined to continue practicing, even if it did become overly repetitive.

The two took small breaks in between, but Brielle was adamant in learning, so her mother only complied with a proud smile.

Time flew by and it was already lunch time, and the little girl was exhausted. After Melody declared her morning practice to be over, and it was time to eat, Brielle sat on her butt after the whole training.

The song—er tune that she was learning was unexpectedly tiring. It was like the more she practiced, the more her body ached. There was some sort of a connection between the physical and vocal energy needed to do it.

"_So that's the reason why we did those warm ups earlier, why is this so energy-consuming? I was just literally trying to make my voice deliberately softer, yet it feels like I've just run a marathon! My baby legs are shaking! And why do I feel so tired already?"_

Brielle thought as she was catching her breath.

"It's really tiring isn't it Brie?"

Melody asked her daughter as she beckoned her to sit down with her on the blanket she laid down on the grass.

"Yeah mommy, why _does_ it make me all tired and sleepy? I was only trying to hum like you It wasn't like I was doing something tiring."

Brielle followed and sat down with a small thud. She was tired and reached for her water bottle inside her mini backpack.

"Well you see, these lessons are powerful, and with great power comes a great deal of energy to back it up. Try to imagine the song or tune you're learning as a cannonball, you can't fire it or use it efficiently without a strong and sturdy cannon, right?"

Her mother asked as she started preparing eating utensils and small cups for them to use while eating lunch.

"Oh! I get it now! So uhm- my body needs to be strong to be able to do it?"

Brielle turned to her mother in realization, she finally understood the reason why she was so beat already, even though it seemed like she was doing little to no work at all.

"That's right Brie, that's why it is also very important to do warm-ups before training. You must give both your greatest effort in learning and strengthening your body at the same time, that way, your body won't fall behind, because the more complicated songs you learn, the more energy is required to do it."

"Ohhhhhh okay!"

She pulled out from her basket that she brought with her a hearty meal for the two of them. The delicious smell of the food was enough to make Brielle exited to have their lunch already.

The mother packed some butter baked salmon, perfect for building her little girl's lean muscle, soft brown rice, yogurt for protein, and some greens for other nutrients.

"This, this looks delicious Mommy!"

The girl's eyes sparkled at the beautiful, golden brown color of the salmon, the fresh greens, and her mother's special homemade yogurt was such a sight that it was blinding.

It was important that they ate healthy and filling foods to keep them energized the whole day. Melody prided herself in being a pretty good meal planner and trainor herself.

The two enjoyed their lunch and was pleasantly full. Melody allowed a one hour break starting from when they ate lunch to allow her daughter to take a much needed rest.

Her body was after all, not used to this kind of routine, and she needed to approach her growth carefully, to ensure a quick and steady transition.

In the meantime, Brielle was once again jotting down notes regarding the earlier training, and wrote a few key words of her ancestor's story in Filipino at the back of said notebook, because it seemed like a very important thing to remember the girl thought, and she was sure that there was more to that story that meets the eye.

Call it her personal intuition or something, but to her, it feels like her mother is leaving bits and pieces of the full story. Yes, she was thankful that she was giving all her time and effort so that she could learn the songs as best as she can, but there was an itching feeling at the back of her head that a huge chunk of the whole story was left out of it.

"_I mean, I can understand that a person needs to know how to properly defend themselves in this world, but something seems fishy, but I just can't put my finger on it. Well, I guess there's a reason, even if Mom's hiding it from me. Maybe it's something I'm better off not knowing. Who knows? I am just a child after all."_

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An hour passed, and the two were back to training. They continued training until five in the afternoon. It was a long and hard day for the both of them, but it was a productive day nevertheless.

Melody was proud to say that her first ever training was a success, she had been able to mimic the tune she instructed, albeit unsteady and obviously inexperienced, it was still amazing progress for one day, and her daughter deserved a good slice of strawberry shortcake she made the other day as a reward.

The sun was almost setting, and Melody decided to finally go back home and take a good night's rest. They returned home, and as expected, Brielle was tired and immediately fell asleep the moment she landed on her bed.

Melody tucked her to bed, and decided she'll give the shortcake tomorrow instead and went into her room.

"Ugh, I forgot I left such a mess before we left."

Melody muttered to herself as she looked distastefully at her messy room. She went ahead and organized the papers, put away the unused notebooks, and gathered all the scattered writing materials.

She dusted her dress, and sat on her chair and opened her lamp. The mother decided to write a letter to her husband, to tell him about her daughter's training. She was sure that he would support the idea of having a strong and independent girl.

"_Ah, but not so independent that she won't need him anymore, he would sulk for weeks if he hears that."_

A small chuckle escaped her lips as she thought of a scenario where Brielle was old enough to go out to the world without them, and Alex would be begging to join her because he can't let his 'precious baby' out into the dangerous world yet, not until she's thirty.

She proceeded to pull out a clean sheet of paper and began writing down today's event, Brielle's progress, and asked how he was doing back in Marineford.

She hasn't been receiving calls from him as of late, the rings of the den-den mushi was a rare occurrence these last few days, and it's apparent that work has made him extremely busy nowadays, that made her worry about him sometimes.

Yes her husband was very capable and strong, but she just really can't help but worry.

"_I hope he's doing well, and if he's been getting enough rest, he can be too stubborn sometimes when it comes to work, that dork."_

She missed him dearly, and she couldn't wait for him to return back home after a few months.

After writing the letter, she put it in envelope, placed a seal, and left her letter atop her desk.

Melody she laid down on her bed and decided she'll go and send her letter to the postman tomorrow.

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Word Count: 6,222

Date of Publication: March 20, 2020


	9. Chapter 9 - A Hint of Danger

A/N- I'm super proud of this chapter, there is a bit of feels in here too, just so you know, anyways, I won't keep you guys for long, happy reading! – Diwata

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"_Speaking"_

"_Thoughts"_

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.**

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Training, as everybody expected it to be, was hard. IMPOSSIBLY. HARD.

It was fun at first, Brielle concluded, but as the weeks progressed, she was seriously regretting her life decisions at this moment in time.

Melody had been nothing short of a strict general. Her training was almost on par with maybe a rear or vice admiral by regime alone.

In her books, there was no such thing as 'holding back'. Call it rigorous training, but it felt as if hell has manifested itself onto land, and had the devil it as her commander.

The first week was tiresome, sure, but it was okay for the most part. It was still manageable.

What Brielle didn't expect was for the following weeks to be thrice as difficult as the last.

About three weeks ago, back when they were finishing the last few lessons of the basics, Melody explained what the future lessons would be taught.

She told Brielle that their lessons would be split up into multiple chapters, each of which were named after the person who formulated the songs and techniques included in the book, and that each took a year or even years to master, depending on which chapter it was.

The Songs of a Siren had twelve chapters in total, and five supporting sub-chapters as her mother called them, which was not made by one of her ancestor's eldest daughters, but were close relatives of the main family.

The system was that the eldest daughter of the main family line would master the book, and would contribute with their own song/s in the future, and while others in their clan also knew some techniques, those were not exclusive to the successor.

However, it was not so exclusive to the main family only, those who wrote the sub chapters were not successors, but commoners from their clan.

They became recognized to be as fearsome and clever in the techniques that they developed their own and was allowed to write in their honed techniques in The Songs of a Siren, which was, a great honor, which is the reason why their songs were included.

Melody skimmed the rest of the chapters and told her daughter a quick summary of the book by each chapter.

The first chapter was of Melody's, the most recent owner and guardian of the book.

Her mother proudly introduced her daughter to her chapter of the book, claiming she had best start with her own as it was her best expertise, and that it was more suited for her age.

Melody's songs were about techniques that involved healing and defense. Both of which was certainly a must, Brielle thought.

For defense, it allowed the users to defend themselves in a barrier of sound waves that prevented any physical blows to land on them.

This applies for attacks by blunt objects, bullets and even swords. The only downside of this attack was speed.

To be able to make multiple sound barricades enough to cushion that amount of force takes time and quite a bit of effort to do.

For healing portion, there was actually a surprisingly abundant use of human biology put into it.

It made Brielle wonder if her mother was secretly a biologist.

The songs included involved allowing the user to heal wounds by either tricking the body's immune system to heal immediately or by manipulating tissue regeneration at an insanely short amount of time.

Or by simply allowing the 'song' to naturally heal any non-serious injuries by wrapping over it, like a cut or a bruise.

How it worked was up to Brielle's imagination, until Melody, like the badass that she was, cut herself, to her daughter's horror, and demonstrated proudly her song, that healed her cut in an instant, with no scarring left behind.

She almost had a heart attack when she pulled a stunt like that in front of her.

She thought for a moment if her mother was okay in the head.

But at least she was now a firm believer of the teachings her mother was desperately trying to drill into her skull, which she would allowed her to do willingly.

Her mother must have sensed her doubts and responded to what she thought was the best idea to prove her ancestors' credibility in her daughter's eyes.

The second chapter, was written by her grandmother Carolinne, who specialized in paralyzation and deafness.

She was the complete opposite of her mother, not only in personality, but also in techniques.

If Melody was out-going, open and a 'go with the flow' person, then Carolinne was stoic, reserved and a very objective woman.

She was the type of person to plan things through and always had a backup plan for a backup plan. Which is why her daughter's youthful recklessness stressed her out so much during Melody's childhood, which only resulted to more creative punishments.

Carolinne's teachings involved using the user's voice to seep into their target's nervous system and mess with their nerves.

The trick was to guide the seemingly pleasant song into the spinal cord to cause a stroke or paralysis.

Deafness on the other hand, was far more straightforward.

Using an extremely shrill, glassy voice, the user can cause an ear-deafening tune that would tear the target's nerve cells in the cochlea (those that send sound signals to the brain).

The damage can be temporary or permanent, it all depended on the user's choice.

The third chapter, on the other hand, was written by a woman named Sopeia.

She, according to her mother, specialized in causing deep or irreversible slumber, and an unnatural tranquility that removes their opponent's will to fight.

Her songs of slumber can cause about an entire army to fall asleep in mere seconds.

She wrote a lullaby so soothing and enchanting that whoever heard it, no one except the user herself can resist the call of rest and sleep.

This was incredibly useful in escaping in a tough situation.

From what her mother told Brie, Sopeia, was a gentle woman, and thus, she refused to cause unnecessary harm unto others unless provoked.

This was the reason behind her song of tranquility. By removing the will to fight in others, in a way that avoided useless violence.

However, despite her calm nature, she could be as ferocious as a lion in actual combat.

If there was tranquility there was also chaos and discord. She can channel immense disorder and an unstable presence of mind towards ruthless attackers.

Some say, the effects were so brutal they drove the victims insane.

Brielle was extremely fascinated by the somewhat brutal and savage nature of the songs, but what intrigued her the most was how exactly they made those extremely over-powered attacks.

"_I wonder…..desperate situations called for desperate measures maybe?"_

Brielle's train of thought was cut short when she felt an immense battle-hungry aura coming from non-other than her mother.

"Uhhh mommy?" Brielle could hardly ask as her voice almost died in her throat.

"That's enough for now, you'll learn the remaining in the right time, but for now…"

Melody's face darkened, and there was a scary look that she had never seen on her mother's face before.

"Eeeekk!"

"Forgive me Brie, but the REAL training starts now" Melody replied sorrowfully before a major switch was flipped.

After a not so quick briefing of the basics and introduction to madness, which referred to the staccatos, strengthening activities and simple vocal control, Melody's extreme training mode was activated.

Brielle was nothing short of being absolutely terrified. Her once relatively manageable training ethics were suddenly thrown out of the window and a new, rough and to her opinion, a very impossible version of training was introduced.

All hell broke loose after that.

They started going into an all-out strict routine from dawn till dusk.

Her (almost) everyday life began with an early morning jog to their training grounds. A fatigue-inducing warm up that would last for thirty agonizing minutes,

After that, was a quick breakfast, before she would undergo into a much hellish fight for her life. Melody, as the loving mother that she was, referred to herself as her 'opponent' after each lesson, and would spar with her for three rounds.

If Brielle managed to take a hit (without passing out) with her newly acquired knowledge from the lesson she learned, then she would receive a quick praise, and a nice dessert as a reward for lunch.

(Note that what Melody was trying to teach her was defense)

If not, then it would mean double the amount of training for the rest of the day.

This teaching method did kind-off work, somehow…..because it allowed Brielle to become oh so determined to survive a situation in a weird and twisted life-or-death simulation that kicked in her adrenaline big time.

She never knew her sweet mother could do a full 180 every time they were in the unholy grounds of pain.

Melody was uncharacteristically strict alright, and if Brielle wasn't in her right mind, she would've compared her training-happy mother to Garp the Fist reborn in the flesh.

Maybe somewhere along this timeline, Garp bit the dust earlier and reincarnated to become her mother. Who knows?

If she did something wrong, she'd have to did over and over and over again until she got it right. No breaks until her results matched what her mother had in mind.

She was extremely worn out and sore by the time the day was over. Her muscles and vocal chords ached to be set free from the hell she subjected upon herself.

It worn her out completely every single time, and yet, she still managed to get up early in the morning and do it all over again.

She wondered aimlessly every night why she continued to do this. Her will to continue her training was slowly deteriorating.

"_Why am I even doing this anymore? My back is hurting, my muscles are sore, and my head is spinning! Why? Why am I still doing this?"_

For the first time ever, she was upset with her mother, who suddenly wanted to shove her 'lessons' into her throat and started giving her a hard time.

But most of all, she was upset at herself for being so weak and being a total complainer.

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One day, after an extremely rough day at training, Brielle just couldn't learn and apply one of her mother's songs, and she came down into a mental breakdown.

Melody's loud commands to do it all over again for about the tenth time that same day rang in her head. Frustrated and agitated, she snapped.

With all her might, frustrations, stress, and anger shot off into one heavy blow.

"STOP IT! I'VE HAD….ENOUGH!"

Her high-pitched scream exploded, the trees around were uprooted slightly, and a huge gust of wind created after the outburst knocked Melody back to her motherly senses.

Melody's eyes widened at the scene, reality seemed to kick back and unfold before her. Beads of sweat rolled down to her neck, there was a sudden pain in her chest that screamed she did something horribly wrong.

"Brie…"

Melody's voice was just above a whisper, and there was nothing else to be heard.

Today had been so stressful for the girl that immediately after her outburst, she ran off crying, running far away from her mother.

On regular training days, Melody would've jumped at her and dragged her butt back to the clearing if she ever made the attempt to ditch training, but Melody stood there, unmoving from her spot.

"_Oh no….What have I done?!"_

The situation finally sunk down and she managed to move her petrified body and she chase after her daughter.

Brielle ran as fast and as far as her legs could carry her. Her tears flowed freely like a river, and loud sniffs and sobs were heard.

The crunches of the dried leaves against her sandals were enough to drown out all the noise around her.

She continued to run, not knowing exactly where she was headed. All she could register was that she needed to get away, and fast.

Her instincts went overdrive, and a quick supply of adrenaline triggered her fight or flight response, which in this case, was the latter.

She was like this sometimes.

When something becomes too much to bear, you run away. It was simple logic after all.

The little girl thought, as she stumbled upon another clearing and sat on a fallen tree. Still sobbing and rubbing her red puffy eyes.

Her shaken form took uneven breaths, shallow and rigid hiccups escaped her quivering lips.

A sorrowful cry of agony was heard, echoing in the forest around her.

"_Ugh! I'm so useless! I'm so weak! How can't I do that ONE DARNED SONG?!" _

With her sagged shoulders, she hugged herself in an effort to console her tired mind.

"_Maybe I should just stop this nonsense. I'm no good at this anyways, I can't face mom after what I did…..maybe…maybe I should just run away? But, where would I go?"_

The sun was beginning to set, she was lost and helpless. She had nowhere to go. Negative thought began to creep her battered mind.

"Brielle! Brielle where are you? Brielle!"

Her mother's voice echoed loudly, sounding worried and regretful.

Brielle couldn't bear to look at her mother's face right now, she just couldn't have the courage to look her in the eye after everything that had happened.

This was her first ever fight with her, and she didn't know how to handle it.

She curled up into a ball and covered her ears. Unwilling to answer the cries of her mother.

"Brie? It's Mommy! I'm sorry! Just- Please! Where are you?"

Melody's voice was close to breaking, the shaking of her voice was clearly heard even in the distance.

"_What are you doing Brielle? Why won't you answer? You know she's worried!"_

Brielle's thoughts were a mess, she couldn't think straight, she whimpered. She shut her eyes close and waited for her thoughts to subside.

"Brie! There you are! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have done this! Are you hurt? Brielle….please…look at me….."

Melody saw her daughter hunched over beside a fallen tree and immediately ran to her side, hugging her whole frame softly.

Her soft cries and whimpers broke her heart in all the ways possible. The sight of her daughter broken and afraid all because of her felt like she was the lowest of the low.

She hurt her only daughter because of her stupidity and being unable to keep her own stress in check.

"I'm sorry…I-I shouldn't have been so hard on you, I-I'm really sorry Brie….."

The mother stuttered, her words choppy because of her own tears and hiccups.

Brielle felt a pleasantly warm presence envelop her, it was no doubt her mother's.

All the stress she's been bottling up since the day she started training suddenly vanished. Her mother's gentle embrace, cradling her as if she's the most fragile thing in the universe eased her pains.

A minute passed by, they were still in each other's arms, their cries subsided, and the slow beating of her mother's heart calmed her state of mind, and finally looked up to Melody.

"I-I'm-"

Melody cut her off with a finger lifted up to her lips.

"Shhh…you don't need to apologize, it was all my fault. I….I haven't been the greatest mother to you….I'm sorry."

The mother's voice trailed slowly, her hands stroking her daughter's hair in a slow and steady rhythm.

"NO!"

Brielle shouted abruptly, facing her mother's teary face, droplets of tears continued to roll down her face.

"Oh Brie….I was so stressed because of your father that I….I-I poured it all on you…I can't say sorry enough….can you…ever forgive me?"

Melody's tears never ceased to flow down after that last statement, her regret and self-blame was eminent.

"Of course I would! You're my one and only mommy! I love you and I will always forgive you"

The little girl reached up to her mother and wiped the tears off her face, and kissed her gently on the cheek.

"I-I love you too sweetie….ahhh what did I do to deserve such a loving and understanding daughter like you?"

Melody replied, with a small smile, kissing her daughter's forehead in response.

They stayed curled up together for a while, watching the night sky serenely. They bonded once again after what seemed like an eternity ago, and Brielle missed her loving mother.

She was content, but she was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. She fell asleep in her mother's arms.

Melody carried Brielle on her back and she walked all the way back home.

When she arrived at her doorstep, Brielle stirred in her sleep, looking uncomfortable in her earlier sleeping position.

"Don't worry Brie, I'll lay you down soon."

The mother whispered silently, as she removed her shoes, headed upstairs, and gently laid Brielle onto her bed.

"Goodnight, Brie."

She sighed a heavy sigh. She went to her own room, and closed the door behind her.

Today was a long day, she had just made the worst mistake of her life….and her daughter had to pay for it.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

She muttered angrily to herself. She rubbed her head harshly, ruining and disheveling her hair.

She couldn't believe that her pent up stress would befall on Brielle, to the point that she was suffocating because of her training regime.

"_How could you Mel? I thought you were better than this!"_

Her thoughts haunted her, mocking her endlessly for her failure.

A severe headache was forming, she sat tiredly on her bed, her eyes watering once more. She took her husband's den-den mushi and placed in on her lap.

She waited patiently for Alexander to call, that maybe, just maybe, just for today, he would call her, just like he did before.

But nothing came. He was busy. Too busy, again.

"Ugh what did I expect?"

Melody said to herself sarcastically. She and Alexander has been losing touch way too quickly for her liking.

She knew that being married to a marine was difficult, but Alex had shown her so much love and brought light into her world that she thought that they could work it out, and that the distance separating them was and never will be an issue.

Besides, he came back every now and again, and he was always talking to her during the night about his day, and he would ask about hers, and they were content and happy.

Truly they were, but now she's beginning to feel the fear that she thought she had left behind all those years ago.

His calls were becoming less frequent, and he didn't even answer her letter that she sent him a month ago. There was no way to contact him. She slowly began to feel…..alone and abandoned.

"_Was the distance too much of a hindrance? Would he….abandon me?"_

Just the thought of her husband leaving her broke her heart the second time that day. Her fear of abandonment skyrocketed and she started hyperventilating.

"_NO! MELODY! Stop that thinking right now! You know how much he loves you! It's just because he's busy! You should know that! Especially since he's a marine captain now! Of course he would be busy…."_

She clutched her heart and reached for the photo of them together on her table, and gripped it tightly against her chest.

Slowly and steadily, she regained her composure. Her panic attacks would occur every now and again during the night, when she can't sleep and her thoughts goes astray, going into deep unwanted thoughts she didn't ever want to think about.

"Ever since Roger's execution two years ago, the marines from HQ have been dealing non-stop with the wild search to find and 'capture' his son."

Melody spoke in resentment of the immoral mentality of the navy to no one but herself, inside her dark, empty room, devoid of her husband whom she missed dearly.

"A son does not carry the sins of his father. The child has done nothing wrong to ever deserve such hatred." Melody sighed, wiping her tears.

"-but sadly, Alex is one of those that are ordered to search and even potentially kill the child. What is the world forming into?"

She turned her head to the side, eyes closed and her form, vulnerable.

"Alex must have it worse than me, I doubt he would ever do such a thing, but, the entire navy orders him to, and has no right to oppose. Who knows what they'll do to him."

Melody sighed once again. There was so much that has been going on that she didn't have time to properly think things through.

"I need to make up to Brielle for what happened earlier."

The mother decided, and slowly, still hugging the picture frame ever-so-dearly went to sleep and let the unconsciousness take over.

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Brielle woke up, feeling the remnants of fatigue from the events that happened yesterday.

"_Was it all just a nightmare? Did yesterday really happen at all?" _The girl thought to herself

"Wait, what time is it?"

Brielle looked at her alarm clock that read '6:00'.

"SHOOT! I'm an hour late! Mom's gonna kill me!"

Brielle quickly jumped of her bed, scrambling to get dressed and rushed downstairs, only to see her mother putting down a delicious plate full of pancakes for the both of them to eat.

"Good morning, Brie"

"Morning, Mommy….uh"

"Yes Brie?"

"Aren't we going to train…?" Brielle asked, unsure of what's to come.

"Oh Brie, after everything that happened, I think you deserve a break. Common, have a seat and we'll have breakfast."

"_Dang, I can't believe I almost forgot about what happened yesterday. It was…..exhausting. But at least Mom has realized I've been stressing out a lot on our lessons and pulled them back for now…"_

"Thank you, mommy"

"It's me who should be thanking you, for having to put up with a mom like me"

"Mommy! It's not like that okay? Don't say bad things about yourself like that, it makes me sad!"

Brielle rushed over to give her mom a hug, to which she hugged back.

"Alright baby, Mommy promises to never do that again, as well…..as what happened before…"

"I know you won't Mommy, can we go eat now? That pancakes might cool down."

"Of course we can, now eat up, I made them especially delicious, just for you"

"Yay!"

The two ate their breakfast, and spent the whole day bonding.

They went shopping for a new set of clothes, went downtown and ate at a newly opened café, and they even went to the beach to collect lovely seashells together.

Brielle had so much fun, that she didn't realize how she missed spending time with her mother.

At night, the two decided to sleep together, since they were the only two people in their house, it was better if the two shared the same bed like before.

Melody was slowly brushing her hair as she was humming her favorite tune.

"Brie?"

"Yeah?"

"I was just thinking, do you….still want to continue?"

"Continue what?"

"The training, we could stop, if you want, I just…never want that to happen ever again."

"Hmmm…..Mommy?"

"Yes Brie?"

"Why….why did you learn those songs? Did you really need to? Back then?"

Melody was taken aback by her daughter's question. Why did she go through hell and back, back then?

"Well, it's because, some-some bad people tried to hurt us before, BUT they're not going to anymore, I guess for me, not only because of those people, I decided to train and take up the family tradition, because I want to protect those that I love and care about….especially you and your father " Melody explained.

"_If I can't even do that, I'll feel so worthless that I'd rather be dead." _Melody added as an afterthought.

"_! I never knew that! So, that must be the reason why they came up with songs like that, I wonder how mom dealt with that situation before, I guess my intuition was right, I…..I may have been too eager to give up so early in the game. Wasn't my dream to explore, andmaybeevenseeluffyorsaveace? Plus, I also want to protect you mom, and dad too…and many others too…."_

"Oh, then, I've made up my mind"

"What would it be Brie?"

"I-I'll continue Mommy. I want to continue training"

"B-But why? I was so hard on you….Why do you even want to continue….?"

"Because of the same reason you said Mommy, I, I want to protect those that I love."

Her daughter's reply made her eyes water, she truly was such a precious daughter.

She hugged her tight, and hummed in response,

"That's my girl, alright, I'll continue training you. I promise I won't be too much of a training freak too."

"Thank you Mommy! I love you!"

"I love you too, Brie."

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After a few days, the two had returned to train, with a much more powerful motivation than before. It still wasn't easy. But despite the hardships, Brielle had continued to train, and in return, those efforts pushed through.

After a month, Brielle had mastered a twelfth of her mother's teachings. It might not seem like a lot, but it was.

According to Melody's calculations, it would take her at least a year to properly master her chapter, which was a lot, considering her age.

Brielle had learned to heal small cuts, a light bruise and could even set up a barrier that could prevent stones half the size of a hand.

It was amazing progress, and Melody couldn't be any happier.

More time passed, and the better Brielle has become at mastering her techniques, with the guidance of her mother, she managed to even one up Melody, for having mastered a song much earlier than her mother ever did when she was her age.

That part made Melody pout a bit, but was over all elated at her daughter's achievements.

It certainly was good bragging rights in the future too, Brielle concluded.

Another few months rolled by, and Brielle's progress was at a staggering rate. Turned out, with the proper motivation and determination, she _could_ overcome the challenges her mother would throw at her.

Everything was going great.

Until that day.

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There was a large commotion.

The sky darkened, as if to resemble the chaos that was about to ensue

News spread quickly across the neighboring village.

A total of 10 navy warships were seen fast approaching towards the other island next to them.

Loud thundering booms were heard.

"It's the marines! T-they're-they're planning on destroying Ohara!"

"IT'S A BUSTER CALL!"

The painfully loud cries of the concerned citizens were roared all around the village.

Not long after, the sky turned into a saturated yellow orange color, reflecting the fire that consumed the small island.

Engulfing anything and everything in its path.

The smoke emitting from the place looked so suffocating that the villagers could almost feel themselves choking in the scenery.

Brielle watched in horror at her room's window sill. Her mind couldn't comprehend how utterly horrible it was, from a faint distance, she could feel the agony of its people, helpless from the tragedy that has befallen upon them.

Another round of ammunition was fired, and the ear-deafening sounds resonated all the way to their village once more.

Brielle forgot, something painfully important.

"_The bombing of Ohara….."_

"_I-I didn't know it was just there! I…I-I could have met Robin! And prevented her from being bullied! She deserved so much better!"_

"_AKAINU, THAT BASTARD!"_

The girl would remember that piece of scum even if she were to be incarnated a third time. He was responsible for the massacre of the people of Ohara, and the death of many.

Just because he felt like an innocent CHILD they called a demon was aboard them.

"_How could he sacrifice so much for his downright insane view of absolute justice?! Those people were an entire village! Not to mention they blame it all on Robin just to get the filthy dirt off of their immaculate hands, and their respectable reputation. Pathetic. Absolutely PATHETIC."_

If only she had the strength to save her, to prevent this from all happening in the first place.

"_What is the use of my knowledge if I can't even save lives?"_

"_ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"_

Her silent screams of frustrations made her tear up, what was even her purpose here?

Her figure was trembling. She felt horribly useless yet again.

"Brie, are you okay?"

Melody's voice cut off her negative thoughts, she didn't even heard her come inside her room.

"Don't cry Brie, It'll all be alright, I know it will."

Her mother comforted her in a tight hug, she brought her up and onto her bed, to which they cuddled together, hoping that all her bad thoughts would fade away soon…

"Mommy? Why are the marines destroying that island? Isn't that bad?"

"I don't know sweetie, of course it's bad, but, it's too complicated to explain."

"B-But, aren't there people there as well, will they,…will they be alright…?"

Despite already knowing the answer that there would only be one sole survivor, Robin, she still held a small childish hope that maybe, it won't.

That the CP0 failed, and that Olivia, Saul, Clover, all the other archeologists and the tree of knowledge would be safe and sound.

But that was too good to be true.

Sometimes, she would forget how awful this world can be.

"I-I don't know Brie…" Melody answered honestly.

She hugged her mother closer, and covered her ears, hoping the cry of destruction would fade away quicker.

A day after the events of the buster call, some villagers went to check on the island, but there was nothing left.

It was completely and utterly destroyed.

Nobody knew if there were any survivors, but it was highly unlikely.

Even though the fire had ceased, the flames that were once licking at every corner of the island looked like it was still there.

An ashy gray mass of land was left.

A speedy figure ran past unnoticed by the other townspeople, and arrived at a familiar doorstep.

A door creaked open.

"A-Alex?"

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Word Count: 5,053

Date of Publication: March 22, 2020

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A/N- Aaaaand it's done! Whew this was such a chapter for e! I really like how this turned out! I feel sorry for Mel thoughhhh but at least things are finally, FINALLY picking up! That was a reaallly long introduction,,hhh I just really like slow burns alright? Anyways, thanks for reading and see you until the next one. - Diwata


	10. Chapter 10- An Unexpected Encounter

A/N- Hey! So I may or may have not procrastinated on this chapter hahaha, it's because at first I really didn't know how to start the chapter. You can notice that this time, it isn't in Brielle's perspective (well it is in third person, but you get what I mean) I never expected to write such a long chapter too, I just sat and wrote, and yeah I won't keep you guys for long, thank you for the reviews, it really helps me to keep this going, and without further ado- Happy reading! – Diwata

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"Speaking"

"_Thoughts"_

_Songs_

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.**

**Another disclaimer: I do not own the song written later in the chapter, it is 'Lvr Boy', by awfultune **

(Go check it out if you like, it's really good one of my favs it's a pretty chill song)

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Marineford has never been this hectic.

The reason for the dauntingly sudden change in pace was because of the silver den-den mushi.

It sounded its hauntingly loud alarm that rang and echoed in the marine headquarters and out into the hallways for everyone to hear.

It signified an undeniable need to unleash and evoke the most powerful military action to ever exist in the navy.

That of which was a very rare occurrence, and performed under special circumstances only.

It called for the destruction of anything, to a criminal of some sort, or even to a scale of an entire island that has proven itself as a threat to the world government.

Such power could only be called upon by one of the four highest ranking officials in the navy, either one of the three admirals, or the fleet admiral.

In this case however, it was requested by a man named Spandine, the chief of an elite marine unit called Cipher Pol 9 or most commonly known as CP9.

It was an exclusive group that acted as the World Government's secret assassins under the nose of common civilians.

How the man gained the power to elicit the marine force was because of Admiral Sengoku, who had the authority to give the man permission to invoke a buster call.

The mission they were dispatched with, was to arrest, and if necessary, eliminate the enigmatic fugitive, Nico Olvia who had the ability to read the ancient poneglyphs, along with the other archeologists allegedly working on the illegal study of the void century.

Marines ran left, right, and center to alert others to prepare the needed ten navy battleships as soon as they received the coordinates.

Many known figures of the marine infantry force emerged and assembled, ready to take on the task entrusted unto them.

Quickly, they grabbed their weapons, ammunitions, rations, and responded to every demand of their superiors.

"Hurry up men!"

Soldiers of different ranks and positions scrambled on their feet and went directly to where they needed to be at the time like this.

"Raise the anchor!"

The cold metal anchors of the battleships were raised above the sea and secured at the sides of the marine vessels.

"Lower the sails!"

With one quick whish of the soldiers, the ropes that twined the folded sails were let loose and was freed from the mast.

"Load the cannons!"

Heavy boxes were loaded continuously inside the ships present, filled with a number of cannonballs to use in the destruction of the unsuspecting island of Ohara.

"Prepare for battle!"

A low yet loud voice rumbled through the transponder snails scattered all around the various corners of the ships.

"SIR YES SIR!"

The thumps of heavy footsteps reverberated in the marine headquarters.

Their naval warfare preparations never ceased to slow down by the second, ten enormously large marine battleships the size of a giant were now visible for the world to see.

It was truly a sight to see that showed the power the marines possessed under their sleeves.

Marines fled and hurriedly entered their respective ships and set their course towards the soon to be annihilated island.

The atmosphere inside the marine battleships were heavy. The brooding feeling of what was about to come was ever so present in the army's morale.

The air inside the navy ships were unsettling, the soldiers inside sat patiently in their seats, readying themselves once they reached their destination.

"Hey, do you know where we're going? With all the commotion and protocols, I didn't manage to catch exactly where we're headed."

A marine soldier scratched his head shyly, and asked the person next to him seemingly lost in thought.

"Hey you! That's Captain Alexander! Don't address him so casually, and what kind of marine doesn't know where they're going? The navy doesn't need such incompetent soldiers."

A man with shoulder length hair with a short goatee reprimanded the lost man. He replied in the dark with a scowl, pointing an accusatory finger at the 'incompetent' soldier.

"Calm down Lieutenant Judas, it's alright, the buster call happened so fast that even I couldn't properly comprehend the situation that for a second back there."

"Do not degrade yourself for sparring this man's embarrassment, Captain."

"Don't be so uptight, Lieutenant. Anyways, we are headed to Ohara, officer-?"

The marine captain stepped in, and put his hand down gently on the agitated lieutenant.

Lieutenant Judas gave a sideways glare at the officer before backing down behind his captain.

"Petty Officer Nathan sir! Sorry for not recognizing you earlier Captain! I am from a different unit, I'm sorry for my incompetence!"

Nathan bowed swiftly, before giving a sturdy salute to the clear superiors before him.

"It's quite alright, Petty Officer Nathan. In a few more minutes, we should be arriving soon, I believe. Are our troops armed and ready, Judas?"

Alexander turned to look at his subordinate, and inquired of their unit's condition.

"Rightfully so, Captain. All of our soldiers are equipped with enough firearms, ammunition, and extra necessities. We are more than ready, Captain!"

The man, Judas, replied with a steady salute, after flipping the pages in his clipboard, checking each and every status of their unit, before going back to whatever he was doing before he overheard the Petty Officer lucky enough to be on the receiving end of his spiky personality.

"I'm sorry about that, Petty Officer, he's a bit rough on the edges, but he's a good guy, I promise."

"Ahh, don't worry, Captain, it was my fault after all, I wasn't paying much attention, it was a mistake on my part."

"Excuse me, Is Petty Officer Nathan here?"

Another marine entered the vicinity and looked around the waiting soldiers.

"I'm right here, what is it?"

"Captain Timothy requested your presence, to help with the management of the other officers in the lower deck, apparently there was a mishap regarding unit five's weaponry."

"Alright, I'll be heading there, thank you again Captain Alexander, for the help."

"Don't mention it, kid."

Alexander once again sat down in his seat, contemplating on something very hard the last couple of days.

Over the course of the month, he had failed to call what his wife and his only daughter. Ever since he was enlisted as a branch to help with the search of the 'devil's' last bloodline, he had been unable to properly check on his family except during his semi-annual vacation.

He had been so busy, and so tired from his marine duties that by the time he finished work, he blacked out into sleep immediately.

"_But that's not a valid excuse Alex! You know very well how Mel worries! Arghhhhhh"_

Alex shook his head and massaged his temples. He was feeling very stressed and work has demanded so much time from him that he had not been able to even reach out to his wife and daughter for weeks. Not even once.

He wasn't in a great shape either, with many sleepless nights, his body wanted nothing else but to rest and get a full eight hours of sleep.

But that wasn't possible, he couldn't afford that luxury, he was expected to perform in the best of his abilities, sleep deprived or not.

"_With everything that was happening, it was all so fast, that I wasn't able to answer her letter"_

His guilt was steadily rising within him, as he unfolded a piece of paper he securely put in his breast pocket just as he did every single day.

It was a picture of him, Melody and Brielle, smiling happily at the camera. The picture made him smile, and bring out the motivation he needed to execute his tasks at hand.

Knowing that there is a family waiting for him back in West Blue gave him the strength and inspiration to only give his best at work and nothing else. The marines deserved only his best after all.

"_Ahhhhhh I wonder how they're doing? Melody must have been lonely, I'll send my letter as soon as I finish with today. Brielle's also growing up too fast and I'm not there to see it! Hmph! I just hope Mel isn't too training happy though, she scares me too much sometimes."_

The image of his training happy wife all riled up and ready for battle made him chuckle inadvertently. He had such a catch for a wife.

"_Just one more week, and I'll be able to go back and visit them again, it's not even that long! Soon, I'll be home, with my family-"_

*RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING* *RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING* *RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*

The man's thoughts were cut short when a familiar ring caught his attention.

They were nearing the shore, it was time.

Lieutenant Judas approached him with a serious expression, he gave him his coat, and saluted.

"Captain, we're here, shall we head over to our men at the upper deck?" Judas asked.

"Of course, let's go."

The two men went to their respective stations, and waited eagerly for their orders to fire.

His men were busy lining up cannonball after cannonball, the others were aiming the cannons, and the some stood close by, with their weapons at hand, and a determined look on their faces.

Whatever was going to happen at today, it would only be of success, and no room for failure.

"Puru puru puru…puru puru puru…Kacha!"

His baby den-den mushi rang, and with a quick gesture, held it up and answered,

"Captain Alexander speaking, what are the orders Vice Admiral?"

The man on the other line replied in a firm and strict tone.

"Get ready to aim and fire the cannons for the opening salvo on my command. After that, regroup with the others and prepare to eliminate everything on that island, Captain Alexander."

"Affirmative, Vice Admiral Akainu!"

The captain gave a salute, even though the other man won't be able to see it.

Alexander waited patiently for his orders, and after a minute of silent and steady prowess of the navy's powers at a standstill, he received his orders.

"Fire!" The man's raging voice protruded from the den-den mushi in his hand.

"You heard the Vice Admiral, men! FIRE!" Alexander voiced out his command with authority.

His unit, along with the other men in their battleships, fired a round of cannonballs in sync, aimed directly at the island of Ohara.

The deafening noise and the loud crashes of the aftermath of the attacks pierced through the ears of every living creature present on both the massive battleships and on the targeted land mass.

After giving his order, Captain Alexander did what Vice Admiral Akainu had told him. He, along with his other fellow captains regrouped with their troops, ready to destroy everything on the island.

Vice Admiral Akainu stood high and tall amongst the marines, hot and fuming magma ran down the side of his face and on his forearms stretching onto the tip of his fingers, emitting dark smoke in the vicinity.

"Men! Lay waste on this island! Do not leave anything unscathed! Bring the complete and utter destruction of this accursed land!" The Vice Admiral shouted, as he pointed at the land before them.

"SIR YES SIR! VICE ADMIRAL AKAINU!" The marines, shouted in unison, together with the entire fleet, they landed on Ohara.

Their battle cries loud and clear as they approached further inland. Waves upon waves of marines flooded the area, causing nothing but destruction in their path.

What happened next, was absolute chaos.

On the deeper part on the island, Nico Olvia who had just recently escaped the clutches of the marines, went to the tree of knowledge to warn her fellow researchers, Professor Clover and the others to leave and flee for their lives, but they had refused to do so, as they wished to protect the tree and the knowledge they worked so hard to research.

Word got around that the CP9 had arrived on Ohara, Olvia took the situation into her own hands, and running past her daughter unknowingly.

When Robin confronted Professor Clover about the whereabouts of her mother, the man denied her of her claims, knowing well what Olvia wanted.

She wanted to cut all ties and every connection that roped her to her daughter, as a wanted criminal, she couldn't afford to have her daughter branded as a criminal as well because of her.

Robin had her doubts, and was extremely skeptical, but Professor Clover could only change the topic and warned her to never claim herself to be a scholar, nor an archeologist of Ohara, fearing that they might arrest her too.

A unit of marines bust inside the tree of knowledge, and began roughly inspecting and searching for the poneglyph that the archeologists were hiding.

The other marines who were outside ordered the residents of Ohara to move and board onto the evacuation ship, lest they be destroyed along with the island.

Captain Alexander, who was given the task of guiding the frightened townspeople to the evacuation area, commanded in a voice that screamed and demanded authority,

"Do not panic, just follow my lead and I will escort you all towards the evacuation boat. Do not push and cause unnecessary violence to board the boat, all of you are going to board safely and without problems."

The man instructed and quickly gained the eyes and ears of the rattled civilians, they formed a manageable line, and without trouble, all of the residents boarded under his guidance.

Alexander looked at his surroundings, eyes scanning for any possible drawback or problem that might occur and potentially harm the innocents under his care.

Meanwhile, Olvia confronted Spandine, and tried to stand her ground against her pursuers and shift the blame of the archeologists of Ohara illegally researching the void century, but of course the Cipher Pol would never succumb to the blabber and wishes of a fugitive, and a notorious one at that.

She even shot the man with her rifle, but was quickly outmatched and subdued under the brute force of his agents.

She fought an obviously losing battle, but for those she wanted to protect, even if it was helpless, that wouldn't stop her from trying.

At the same time, back at the tree of knowledge, Olvia's fellow researchers had been arrested and taken outside of the tree.

As the man with hair and beard that heavily resembled a clover tried so desperately to urge the Robin to escape, but stubbornly, she had refused yet again.

The rest of the Cipher Pol 9 agents arrived, with a gravely wounded Olvia in their custody, who recognized her daughter immediately as she spoke her name.

The poneglyph they hid was found out and retrieved from the basement of the tree of knowledge.

Spandine sentenced the archeologists to death by the buster call he had summoned.

Professor Clover frowned and decided upon himself to state his theory on why the world government wanted to keep the void century a secret so badly to the five elders listening via Spandine's den-den mushi.

But before he could reveal the civilization he spoke of, has was shot brutally and left for dead.

As the CP9 saw the arrival of the marine battleships, they had made their exit, and Robin and Olvia reunited.

Years of longing and sadness that once enveloped the young child instantly dissipated at that moment.

This is what she had longed for, to be with her mother, but it was short-lived.

Saul, whom Robin had befriended four days earlier, arrived and helped Robin escape from the inevitable tragedy of Ohara, begging and crying not to be separated from her mother, knowing deep within her heart that she might never see her again.

Olvia could only shake her head and leave her daughter in the hands of the ex-Vice Admiral, Jaguar D. Saul.

With her final wishes, that she would continue on and live rang in her ears, as sobs and uncontrollable flow of tears poured from her entire being.

Sprinting towards the evacuation boat, Saul was spotted by the marines, who in turn open fired and attacked the giant.

"Isn't that…Vice Admiral Saul?"

Alexander had asked himself as he saw the man he had come to respect over the years of service running full speed towards the evacuation boat he was currently watching over.

"Negative, Captain. He is no longer a part of the navy, he had betrayed us by aiding the escape of Nico Olvia, currently, he is…..a wanted criminal."

Learning the news from his subordinate, Alexander shook his head in disbelief, he wasn't the type of man to do something like that….could he?

"_But he was a righteous man! He was truthful, honest, kind, and carried the image of what a marine should be! He couldn't have…..why? Why did he do it? Why? Why? Why?"_

The marine captain stood in his place, unable to process the news he had heard, he simply couldn't believe he could betray the marines for freeing and aiding a wanted woman.

His thoughts raced over his mind, before stopping abruptly by an order to fire the ex-Vice Admiral as well.

He clenched his teeth, and pinched the bridge of his nose. Squeezing his eyes closed, and breathed his order.

"Men, Fire at ex-Vice Admiral Saul, NOW!"

Alexander exclaimed, shouting a command against the betterment of his judgment as he cannot refuse the orders of his superiors.

He turned his head, away from the carnage he had ordered his men to do. He didn't have the courage to witness what he had indirectly caused.

His guilt was crawling from his insides, leaving a bitter taste at the back of his throat.

He didn't know the reason for his betrayal, but he knew that the man had a good reason, after all, he had his own sense of justice that he admired in him so much.

It was hard for him to utter the commands that would sooner or later claim his life.

Saul took the blows, retaliated in a fit of rage, for almost hurting Robin, destroying a number of battleships in the process.

As Robin tried to board the evacuation ship using her devil fruit abilities, it frightened the people on board greatly, refusing to let her in, because of Spandine's warning that she was an archaeologist just like those that were arrested and was left to die on the other side of the island.

Saul, noticing Spandine made a mad dash towards his ship, his rage never dissipating because of the man's foolishness, however, an icy man stopped and prevented him in his tracks, the man, Vice Admiral Aokiji challenged his former colleague into a duel.

"Vice Admiral Akainu, there seems to be some sort of turmoil between the evacuates. Has Captain Alexander said anything?"

A marine soldier inquired the man sitting squarely on his chair, his hat covering his eyes that glared menacingly at the commotion.

"No, he hasn't."

The Vice Admiral lifted his baby den-den mushi and contacted the said marine captain, it wasn't long before the man had received his call and was present at the other side of the line.

"Puru puru puru…..kacha!"

"Vice Admiral Akainu! What are your orders? Is there a problem I need to take care of?"

Alexander replied formally, barely recovering from the trauma of hurting the man he had respected, thankfully he had successfully repressed the shaking of his voice.

"Why does the people on the evacuation boat look troubled, Captain?"

The Vice Admiral asked slowly and deliberately, stressing each word with underlying detest in his tone.

"There seems to be a little commotion, some were saying that a child had snuck inside the boat, but so far, my men and I did not detect any intruders nor any suspicious person coming near or approaching the evacuation ahip. The people here are safe and ready to be evacuated at your command, Vice Admiral."

The captain replied immediately, shifting his thoughts on safely escorting the people somewhere else, away from every potential danger that may harm them, like flying debris from the all the explosions.

"Is that so, Captain?"

"Yes, Vice Admiral Akainu."

"Then eliminate that evacuation ship at once, Captain."

"Wha-What?"

Alexander's eyes widened at what he had heard, not expecting such a command from his superior, had he not ordered him and his men to protect and safely evacuate the people of Ohara?

"Fire at the evacuation ship, Captain. We cannot have a stray archeologist board that boat and escape out in the open. We cannot make such a grave mistake. It is better to remove the risk of that failure right here and now."

Vice Admiral Akainu's words struck the captain like a knife stabbing his chest.

"_WHAT?!"_

Alexander could not register the Vice Admiral's command. Didn't they do their job successfully? He was a hundred percent sure that there was no one aboard the boat that had not been their prior to their evacuation.

"_I heard that the CP9 had already dealt with the archeologists of Ohara, they even recovered their hidden poneglyph! So why was he ordering to open fire at a group of innocent people?!"_

His body froze, his eyes widened and his pupils dilated.

"_These people are innocent! I can swear upon my life that the people here are NOT archeologists! He had already background-checked each and every one of the passengers."_

"B-But Vice Admiral! We had checked everyone! I am certain that not a single person aboard is an archeologist!"

Alexander stuttered as he pleadingly tried to reason with the man, and had unknowingly raised his voice at the marine higher-up. Sweat formed and rolled down his forehead and back, he did not know what to do in his predicament.

Even if he was at a higher position than him, he couldn't kill all of those innocent people! He can't and he won't! It wasn't right, and _he_ knows it too!

The magma man was not pleased with how the marine captain was acting and insinuating. His magma had soon enveloped the half of his face, the molten rock continues to cascade down his sides as he was slowly becoming impatient and irritated by each passing second.

"Are you defying my orders, _Captain_?"

The man's voice was laced with lethal poison, each word he spat out with immense disdain.

Alexander felt a chill ran down his spine, he knew very well he was defying his orders, but he just couldn't stand being the instrument of mass genocide.

His whole frame shook uncontrollably, feeling nauseous. His bile backing up from his liver into his stomach.

He felt disgusted.

Absolutely _DISGUSTED_.

He felt like throwing up at his words, how could a man so easily disregard the lives of an entire island's population? And for what, a single inexistent archeologist under his nose?

His morality just couldn't accept what this _monster_ wanted. He was aware of the consequences, but it didn't matter, what was more important were the lives of the people he tried so hard to protect.

"No, Vice Admiral. I am _not_ going to fire. There are no archeologists present on board."

Alexander replied sternly, his eyes fierce in raw determination to stand up to a man who could easily dispose and rid of his position in the navy.

Lieutenant Judas was looking at him with widened eyes, mouth agape as he witnessed his audacious defiance against a marine Vice Admiral.

He cautiously walked backwards, towards the inner corner of the room.

What was his captain thinking? He knows what would he happen if he disobeyed the Vice Admiral!

"_What should I do?"_

"Puru puru puru….kacha!"

His own den-den mushi rang and heard a familiar voice.

"Do not hang up, Lieutenant."

"O-Of course, Vice Admiral."

Slowly, Vice Admiral Akainu's face contorted in a horrifying expression, scrunched up in anger. Did that lowly marine captain openly disobey _his _orders?

He was not in any position to order him around. He knew better not to get cocky, to go all high and mighty.

He knew nothing.

His commands are absolute.

If they needed to sacrifice an entire island and its people for absolute justice, then so be it.

For the betterment of all, he will get his way.

"_That insolent BRAT"_

His patience wearing thin, he grit his teeth and gave one last warning.

"Captain Alexander, I advise you to step down and command at once, to your men, to fire at that ship NOW!"

"I'm afraid I cannot do that. Vice Admiral."

"THAT'S _ENOUGH_! WHOEVER IS IN UNIT SIX, RESTRAIN THAT FERAL MARINE CAPTAIN ALEXANDER IMMEDIATELY!"

"What?!"

All of a sudden a hoard of marines confronted the marine captain, weapons drawn, and aimed at him, ready to fire.

Another marine came up to him and aggressively put him into cuffs, with both his hands put behind his back, he was restrained forcibly.

Just as the marine Vice Admiral had commanded.

He could only stare in horror as his own men, whom he had come to serve and guide all those years turn his back against him and point their guns.

Even though they all knew collectively that what the Vice Admiral requested was wrong.

Utterly and despicably WRONG.

It wasn't just him.

"Let go! You all know there was no one sneaking on the boat! There was no one that was unidentified on our list! LET GO!"

No one listened to his cries, instead gripping harder at his restrained arms and held their firearms tighter, all had moved their heads away and turned a blind eye at such a hypocrisy of marine values.

"_I can't believe this."_

He struggled against his restrainers, careful not to hurt them accidentally, he understood that they were obligated to comply and obey without question, but it still hurt to see those that you trust without question stab him in the back.

"And one more thing, destroy the evacuation boat. Open fire and sink it to the bottom of the sea. Any potential archeologists could be hiding amongst the civilians. It is better to be safe than sorry."

"NO!"

His voice cracked and his shackles jingled in his protest. Struggling to prevent a bloody massacre from happening right in front of his eyes.

"Nononononononono!"

"Roger that, Vice Admiral"

A familiar voice replied inside the room.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

*BOOM!*

A large explosion was heard, so much so that it would reach for miles on end, however it did not drown out the screams of agony of the people aboard the supposed evacuation boat.

The smell of burning flesh lingered in the smoky and chokingly hazardous air.

Blood had splattered everywhere, debris was flying in various directions. Scraps of wood and metal began raining in little specks.

The bombardment of the cannons continued in an onslaught of marine forces, until slowly but surely, the shrieks died down, along with their owners.

There was nothing left, whatever remained was blown up into smithereens and everything was reduced into ash.

The haunts of their screams were no longer heard, and the licking of the flames atop the deck of was extinguished as the burning boat slowly sunk to the bottom of the sea, not leaving a trace of arson behind.

Alexander watched as the people he had come to protect earlier was, gone.

Dead.

Because of _him_.

Engulfed by the flames that was fired onto them unknowingly, against their will, and helplessly attacked, never standing a chance against the marine's forces.

He chocked a sob, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

"Is this what you wanted?"

He asked to whoever had the guts to listen to his words. His voice quivered as his rage was seeping out of himself, unbounded, and wanted to be let out.

"I said, IS THIS WHAT ALL OF YOU WANTED? ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? KNOWING YOU KILLED HUNDEREDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE?!"

No one inside the room replied, the temperature decreased rapidly.

"ANSWER ME!"

Huffing, voice hoarse from his screaming, the disheveled marine captain eyed every marine he could see.

"That is quite enough, Alexander, I am severely disappointed by your actions. Questioning your superior's decisions, disrespecting me and my precautions, and disobeying my commands. By my authority, you are suspended from duty. Lieutenant Judas?"

"Y-Yes, Vice Admiral?"

The shaken voice of Lieutenant was made audible as he walked from the back of the room previously unseen by the now suspended marine captain.

"Akainu! You bastard! I swear you'll pay for this! How could you?! Life is not something you can just crumple and throw away like garbage! I am not suspended, _Vice Admiral,_ I quit."

Alexander's voice spat out in a menacing tone, which earned a few gasps from the others in the room.

"Oh? Are you threatening me now? That's it. Lieutenant Judas, put this disgrace of a marine inside the jail cell in the lower deck, he has been nothing but disrespectful, hostile and violent, to the point that he may injure the other soldiers."

"I-Is there anything else, Vice Admiral?"

"That is all, Lieutenant."

.

.

.

Saul had done his best to fight and flee with Robin, to escape Vice Admiral Aokiji, but he was clearly outmatched because of his devil fruit abilities.

The duel had ended by Saul freezing to death curtsey of the ice-man. His final words were to ensure Robin that there were friends that were waiting for her out there in the vast ocean, and that she should continue to live, just like her mother's wishes.

"Dere-shishishishishishishi…!"

Laughing his last laugh, his voice was heard, proving his philosophy to laugh even in desperate times. His body had been incased in a blanket of ice that took his life. A permanent smile plastered on his frozen corpse.

Robin fled, trying to be strong despite the face to face death of her friend.

Running towards the deceased giant's makeshift raft to escape, only to be met by the same man that killed Saul.

He had witnessed the bombing of an evacuation ship, under Vice Admiral Akainu's orders. He despised the man who had no qualms in taking the lives of many.

He decided to spare the child that Saul sacrificed his position, and eventually his life for.

The fire that roared in the background consuming everything that once represented Ohara added to the sheer terror she felt facing the Vice Admiral.

"Why? Why did he risk his life for you?"

"…"

The girl was unable to reply, sniffing and wiping her tears with the back of her hand, she faced the man before her.

"_There's nothing left…Mom, Professor Clover and the others, the tree of knowledge, Saul…..and even the other villagers…They're all gone…..!"_

Vice Admiral Aokiji approached the girl, who visibly flinched at his every move.

"Take the boat and leave. I am not your friend. If you ever do something you might regret, I would personally find you, and I will kill you."

The man motioned Robin to a boat, placed in between an ice path.

"Follow that path and it will lead you to the other island. Now go."

Robin could only follow the man's orders, and got on the boat, crying as a world of fire raged behind her, following the path that the Vice Admiral gave her, she rowed and rowed and rowed.

"Dere-shishishishishi!...hic…dere-shishishishishi!...hic…...uwaaaaah!"

The girl cried as she laughed just like what Saul has taught her, drifting to wherever the ice path led her.

.

.

.

"Brielle? How about you go and play outside for once? I know yesterday had been, awful, so I think we should cancel your training for today."

Melody told her daughter as she lifted her face from the book she was currently reading.

Yesterday had been nothing short of traumatic.

The destruction caused by a buster call was no joke, and the aftermath was horrid.

Ohara was destroyed and wiped off the face of the earth. It had been disintegrated into nothing.

She could feel her daughter's gloomy expression and disinterest to move from her spot where she was currently laying down and brooding.

She thought that maybe a little time to play by herself would do her good, they have been relentlessly training after all.

Her daughter could use some playtime.

Melody's suggestion spiked Brielle's ears, and looked up from her spot so fast that it almost broke her neck.

"Really Mommy? Yaaaaaay! Thank youuu! I'll be on the training grounds Mommy! Can I pack some snacks before I go?" Brielle asked.

"Of course Brie, what do you want to eat later?"

"Uhmmmm Cheese sandwiches please"

"Alright Brie, I'll go make you some right now, but do clean up first before you go"

"Okay"

Brielle busied herself in putting on her comfortable dress and slipped on her usual sandals. She looked at the contents of her room, wondering which item she would bring along her journey.

Her ukulele had been untouched for about two weeks now, and she had been itching to play a tune or two, and so, she decided to go and play her ukulele in their training ground for peace of mind.

She was still shaken up by yesterday's events and she had not forgiven herself for allowing such a horrible thing to happen when she could have done something about it.

She walked towards her closet and reached for two bags, one sling bag for her personal necessities, and the other, was her ukulele case.

"Oh, don't wanna forget about these either."

She grabbed her capo inside her drawer, as well as her journal, paper, and a pen.

Because of training she had been eager to write and revisit her notes once again, for all she know, she could forget about something important again.

The only good thing that came out of yesterday was that she was able to establish the timeline, now she knows exactly what to expect now.

She was lost for some time as she didn't know what year it was, or when the original timeline would occur.

So in a way, it was at least beneficial.

Once she was done packing her stuff, she headed downstairs to find her mother waiting for her.

"Here it is Brie, two cheese sandwiches, and apple juice, to wash it all down."

"Thank you!"

"Now off you go, be careful, Brie, and be home by six, alright?"

"Okay Mommy, bye bye."

She gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek and she was on her way.

What she didn't notice was a man donned in a cloak approaching their house, just barely walking past her.

She was too distracted however, of having a chance to have time for herself to self-reflect, so she didn't pay much attention.

Her once twenty minute walk to her training grounds became half the time needed to get there.

Training has made her speed significantly faster, and walking in the same path for almost every day made the short journey a bit quicker than it originally was.

When she arrived, she set down her things, and sat down on a make-shift chair and table her mother had made to use as their little dining area during lunch.

She pulled her ukulele out from its protective prison.

"Wahhhhh its been too long my friend!"

The little girl sighed whilst talking to herself, as she held her musical instrument in a hug to indicate how she had been ukulele-derived these past weeks.

Plucking the strings, she let out a sweet little melody.

C-Am-F-Fm

Those simple four chords that she soon strummed gave a feeling of nostalgia, it was her first song on the ukulele, which gave its sentiments.

.

.

.

_I used to get on my knees_

_And I'd pray_

The girl strummed slowly, in an upward and downward motion.

_For love to come find me some day_

_For love to come meet me my way_

Her voice as soft as a feather, carrying itself along the cool breeze of the sea.

_Your love hit like a brick to the face_

_And when I put up a fight you put me back in my place_

It had been a while, the sweet sound of the strings she had been craving was now echoing in the clearing.

_I thought I wasn't cut out for this race_

_You know how I feel_

_You don't need a song but just in case_

There was a brief halt, before she took a deep breath and sang the chorus like she had done before.

.

.

_You're my lover boy_

_My stay in bed under the cover boy_

_My only you and no other boy_

_My face is red come smother me boy_

_Cause you're my lover boy_

As an unknown language in this world escaped her lips, it never felt so natural despite speaking in a completely different language.

_Come on and meet my mother boy_

_You made me a little tougher boy_

_My life was black and white but now I see color boy_

_You're my lover boy_

It was a song, along with many other that she couldn't sing, because it would cause unnecessary suspicion.

.

.

_I used to find things about me_

_That were wrong to me_

Sometimes she sang the tune, and sometimes she sang the song.

_But then you came along and showed me_

_Showed me where I was wrong_

Feeling every lyric and relating to the message it carried itself.

_So thank you, 'cause now I'm where I belong_

_In a world where I finally feel strong_

_I got my boy and he can tag along_

_You know how I feel_

_You don't need a song but just in case_

Thinking back on her past life, which was not erased like what she had expected, and she thought of everything she has been through up until now.

.

.

_You're my lover boy_

_My stay in bed under the cover boy_

_My only you and no other boy_

_My face is red come smother me boy_

_Cause you're my lover boy_

It was a crazy new world that was the polar opposite of her reality.

_Come on and meet my mother boy_

_You made me a little tougher boy_

_My life was black and white but now I see color boy_

_You're my lover boy_

The romance of adventure was serenading her, to cross its vast seas. So many things to discover, that she has never seen before.

.

.

_You own my heart_

_You own my heart and it's no one else's_

_You own my heart_

_You own my heart and it's no one else's_

_I fall apart_

_And when I fall apart I'm no one else's_

_You own my heart_

_You own my heart like no one else has_

_._

_._

_I could be your baby _

_I could be your baby_

_Always your baby_

_I'm always yours_

_._

_._

As the song comes to an end, the girl looks longingly at the ocean.

When will she be able to cross the seas and explore what this world has to offer?

She couldn't barely wait anymore.

Brielle walked closer towards the edge of the clearing, she saw something rather strange.

"Is that…..ice? over there?"

The girl squinted her eyes to get a better view, she couldn't tell from where she was, so she walked down to the shore to see for herself.

What she saw shocked her. It definitely was ice, formed into a path, atop the calm ocean. There was also an unoccupied boat docked a little over to her left, but the biggest surprise was the body unmoving, laying on the sand.

A girl, probably a little older, judging from her bigger frame and medium length black hair.

It took her a moment before rushing over to the figure, face down in the sand. She could see bruises scattered on her legs, and tatters on her clothes.

"H-Hey! Are you alright?"

Brielle asked with worry and concern. She did not know how to handle things like these before. Her heartbeat quickened.

"I-Is she dead?"

The girl approached the unknown person carefully. Turning her face upright, with her bangs covering her eyes, she pushed them out of the way to get a better look.

"Excuse me, are you okay? Please wake up!"

Brielle cried out, shaking the girl's body gently, hoping the action would stir her up.

"_She's still pretty warm, so I'm sure she's not a corpse, that's for sure."_

"Urg…."

Slowly, the girl's eyes opened, hazy from sleep, movements groggy, she sat up.

"Um hi, I'm Brielle, are….are you okay?"

Brielle was relieved that she woke up, smiling gently, and asked if she was okay in a soft spoken voice, as to not scare the stranger away.

"Huh? Where am I? Mom? Professor Clover? Saul!"

The stranger began franticly looking left and right in search of the people she had mentioned. Before reality kicked in, and the events of yesterday flooded her memories that brought tears in her eyes once again.

"Hey, hey, it's alright, I'm here, don't cry…."

Unsure of what to do, Brielle comforted the stranger in a hug, she didn't emit a dangerous aura, and she was crying, so she could only do what she knows would help in a situation like this.

To calm the person down first, and comfort them.

The stranger, looked somewhat familiar, but Brielle just couldn't place her finger on who she was.

After a minute or so, the stranger stopped crying and realized she was enveloped in a hug.

She quickly escaped the hug and fell on her behind, just a few inches away from Brielle.

The sudden gesture surprised Brielle and thought, maybe that wasn't the right thing to do.

"Sorry….Uhm…..W-Who are you?"

The stranger finally asked in a timid voice, seeming to shy away, wary from the child that hugged her.

"Oh, I'm Brielle! Nice to meet you! But uhmmm are you okay? You look pretty hurt."

Brielle asked the stranger once again, but this time, with a distance.

"I-I'm, I'm okay…thank you, for asking…"

"No biggie! You looked like you needed help, you were sleeping on the sand! That's not good for you! Hey, where are you from? Did you come here by boat? Is that boat yours?"

Brielle asked while pointing on the boat a few meters away from them.

"…yeah….I-"

The looked down in discomfort, not wanting to talk about what was being asked of her.

"Hey, it's okay you don't need to answer if you don't want to. Let me treat your wounds first, if you don't, they'll get infected!"

"No I-"

"I insist! Please let me help you…."

"Okay"

The little girl insisted in helping the stranger, even though her father would've screamed 'stranger danger' by now.

"_She looks badly hurt, I can see the bluish bruises, and even burns! Just where did she come from?"_

"Can you stand up? I need to patch you up first…."

"I think I can, thank you…..but do you know how to? You look younger than I am."

"Uh-huh! My Mommy taught me how to! Oh, and I'm five years old by the way!"

Brielle knew fairly well that she had been slipping too much information, but she was too excited to make a new friend besides Byron.

"Oh…." The stranger muttered under her breath

"_Mom…"_

That made her heart ache, but she pushed the thoughts away for now, she needed to continue on living.

"Wait, you're only five?"

"Yup!"

"Dere-shishishishi you're pretty smart looking for a kid your age."

"_Wait a minute…that's a pretty unique laugh right there…and in One Piece, people with strange laughs are usually important….hmmmmmm…..meh probably just me."_

"Thank you! Now um…"

"Can I- uhmm…no- wait-"

Brielle struggled with her words as she was contemplating on whether or not she would use her voice to heal her wounds.

"_It might scare her off though, I don't want that! Arghhhhh who cares, I'm gonna do it…I just hope I don't regret it….."_

"Ummm, I- "

"Yes?"

"I know this would seem weird but let me sing for you first.., promise me you won't freak out okay?"

"Huh? Sing?...Its okay I guess, but why?"

"N-no reason, no reason at all"

"Dere-shishishi you're funny, it's alright, if that's what you want."

"Promise me you won't freak out!"

"I won't"

Knowing how she felt when the other kids her age bullied her because of her powers, she promised herself not to judge someone immediately.

"If you say so"

Then carefully, she let the other girl sit on her chair near her training ground. Clearing her throat, she began to sing a tune, very softly, just barely above a whisper.

A song that she first mastered, a simple song of healing.

The stranger was surprised to hear such a beautiful voice come out of the child's lips, it was calming, soothing, and strangely, she could feel herself feeling better.

She observed the other girl with her eyes closed, delivering the soft melody ever so pleasantly.

She's never felt such comfort in a song before, it reminded her of her happiest days in her earlier years.

Her bruises began to fade, and the burn marks were nowhere to be seen, just what did this little girl do?

"There, all better."

Brielle declared, happy to see the black and blues out of her body. She did a pretty good job, if she could say so herself.

"You have, such a beautiful voice, Brielle."

The stranger had finally acknowledged her, calling her by name.

"Ahh…it was nothing!" Brielle replied, cheeks tinted red by the compliment, rubbing the back of her head in a coy manner.

"Thank you for, treating my wounds, but, may I ask how you did it?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't….."

"It's alright, still, thank you, for helping me."

"You're welcome! It's only the right thing to do. Ah! I still didn't catch your name though."

"Fufufu, My name, is Robin, nice to meet you, Brielle."

"Eh?"

"Robin, my name is Nico Robin"

"EEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!"

.

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Word Count: 7,652

Date of Publication: March 30, 2020

A/N- Aaaaaand cut! Whew that's a lot! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'm quite satisfied with how this tuned out! Alright, I'll see you guys in the next one.


	11. Chapter 11 - Wanted

A/N- Hey so-Warning, I'm not that experienced in making characters act the way they are canonically, so please bear with me, and the inevitable ooc-ness. With that aside, please enjoy, and happy reading! – Diwata.

Reviews are highly appreciated! So please leave one if you'd like.

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.

.

"Speaking"

"_Thoughts"_

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.**

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The waves rocked hard against the keel of one of the marine vessels.

After the successful launch of the buster call, the soldiers that had participated in the bombing of Ohara were currently returning back to navy headquarters, in Marineford.

The tension in unit six was so thick that it could be cut with a knife.

The blatant stripping of their ex-marine captain's rank put a toll on their morale and inflicted an internal conflict on their own sense of justice.

They have been thinking long and hard about the events that had transpired and was laid out in front of them.

The man who had done so much for them was mutinied, by the very people he had trusted.

Ex-marine captain Alexander was a happy-go-lucky, but he was also an incredibly dependable and respectable leader to whomever was working under him.

He was truly a righteous man, he had the characteristics of an ideal marine, the charisma of leader figure, and had the personality that allowed him to befriend anyone, despite their rank.

Some had been envious of the man, yet they couldn't despise him either, but somehow, all of these previous thoughts and regards for the ex-marine captain has been thrown out of the window the moment he stood up for what he knew, no, what everyone knew was right.

The mighty unit six has been reduced to a couple of cowards.

Their guilt was collectively crawling through every fiber of their being.

It was a suffocating feeling, they concluded, their consciousness getting the best of them.

They were under the direct orders of a Vice Admiral, they couldn't defy a person of his rank. They tried to reason out, justifying their actions like they were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Although deep within them, they knew, that they were just fishing for excuses. They had complete control of their will, there was no gun positioned at their heads and threaten them to do it, no.

But still, there was nothing they could do.

They couldn't sacrifice disobedience that could potentially cost them their occupation. They all had families to provide for, they couldn't afford to throw away their source of income.

Their ex-marine captain proved their point. The second Vice Admiral Akainu suspended the man, their decision not do anything was sealed.

But despite all of that, all their seemingly justifiable reasons, why was there remnants of regret leaving a nasty itch at the back of their consciousness?

No one spoke their minds about the matter, either they were ashamed, or apathetic.

It was up to each other's judgment.

It was anyone's guess.

Lieutenant Judas has been ordered to take care of a certain disobedient ex-marine captain, and unwillingly, he had taken him into one of the solitary cells below deck.

Dark, and desolate of any other human being.

The fire that once ignited inside the jailed man has been extinguished, brutally.

After the extreme pumps of adrenaline, and active resistance, he had failed.

He was imprisoned, uncertain of what to do next. Only God knows what would happen to him now.

"_Mel…Brie…."_

The man could only think of his loved ones, maybe he could never see them again.

Maybe he'll be thrown into hell, in Impel Down itself for his stupid act of defiance.

Now he really f***** up.

"_ARGHHHH! IDIOT! IDIOT! IDIOT! Great job doofus! Now there's a chance you'll never see them again! Because you couldn't keep your big mouth shut!"_

Alexander yanked his hair in frustration as he slid down the side of the cold metal walls and sat on the dirty floor.

His head was spinning with negative thoughts he never thought he would have.

Grunting in pain tried to compose himself.

Waiting in the dark, with only suspense and anxiety as his only companions, he waited.

He waited for what the hands of the people undeserving of their power had in stall for him.

It was about 1:00 in the afternoon, he hadn't eaten anything at that point, and his stomach began to make himself known to the man as it gurgled in hunger.

"Heh, I guess they don't even feed their prisoners, talk about a truly humane justice system. What a joke."

Alexander smiled bitterly, he was left with the rocking of the sea, and the caws of the birds passing by.

An hour had passed, but the ex-marine captain couldn't tell, there was no means to determine what time it was.

The placement of the sun on the horizon only gave him a tiny bit of information to make a rough guess.

Then he heard, a set of footsteps descending from above.

A man had come to visit the 'unhinged' ex-marine captain.

He was not in the mood to have a confrontation with any of his former colleagues.

Not after what they did.

He was a stubborn man, but only when he sees fit. The footsteps slowed down, just a few feet away from where he sat.

"C-Captain…."

A distant voice called out to him.

It was Lieutenant Judas', his right hand man, or more appropriately, _was_ his right hand man.

The lieutenant cautiously approached the man, carrying a tray filled with a loaf of bread, placed neatly on a plate, with a bowl of now-cold soup, supposedly meant for him.

"C-Captain…..I-I'm sorry. For what happened I-"

"_Don't_ call me that. I am no longer your captain anymore."

He was taken aback by his Alexander's dismissive behavior, but it was understandable. He had betrayed his captain, along with the entire unit.

He was in no right to complain or even be surprised at his actions. But this wasn't about him, it was about the consequences resulting from his misdeed.

"But-"

"Save it. Judas. I don't want to hear any excuses. I had seen enough. I don't need insincere apologies."

"Please….just hear me out…Al."

The ex-marine captain's ears perked up at the unique nickname he never expected to hear again.

Not from the other man, like he was once referred him to, oh so many years ago.

"_We should come up with nicknames Alex!"_

"_Hah? That sounds…girly, why do you want to?"_

"_Well, we're brothers aren't we?"_

"_Yeah, so?"_

"_So? What do you mean, 'so'? Why not? Common Alex! Don't be a spoil sport."_

"_Fine, fine, if that makes you happy."_

"_Yosh! I'll call you….Al! It's a lot shorter than 'Alex' and, it's just one syllable, pretty cool huh? I thought hard about that!"_

"_Yeah yeah, hahahaha alright. I like it, for you though…how about Das? Or maybe…. Ju?"_

"_Al, please tell me you've got something better than that."_

"_I'm joking! I'm joking! Jeez! I'll call you Jude."_

"_Hmmmm it's pretty unique! I like it! Thanks Al."_

"_Of course it is, and you're welcome, Jude."_

Back when they were still in training, the two of them had become so close that they were nearly inseparable.

They were always training together, studying together, and it was like they had become blood brothers during their time there.

Their friendship was admired by those around them. The trust that they held for each other was unquestionable.

May it be training on grounds, doing side recovery missions, and leisure time, they were always near or with each other.

Only when Alexander was promoted, when something put a strain in their once unbreakable friendship.

That promotion separated Alexander from Judas, it became different all of a sudden, all in a blink of an eye.

He was no longer assigned with him for marine duties, as he was in a lower rank than him. He also had a lot more work cut out for him, which made their time to spend together halved, quartered, until there was no more time left.

As time went on, their distance just, lengthened both literally and figuratively.

Somewhere in between, Alexander forgot about Judas.

Swallowed up by work, meeting Melody, and later on eventually courting her, and now, he had a daughter, a family to take care of.

Judas was gradually erased from his top priorities and was almost forgotten, until one day, he was also promoted.

He was promoted to a lieutenant, he had not heard from him in years, frankly because he was separated from his first marine base as well.

But this time, he did not look nor feel like the same person.

His once frolic friend was reduced to a cold and calculating individual.

Ever so professional and distant to those around him. He had put up an iron wall around him, preventing anyone from ever getting close and personal with him.

He had matured, and he was so different from who he was before that Alexander failed to recognize the man had he not introduced himself again, as a lieutenant.

"_I am Lieutenant Judas, I will be working for you starting today, Captain Alexander."_

"_Wait, Judas? Is that really you? It's been too long! How have you been?"_

"_I am….doing alright. If there is anything that needs assistance, please don't hesitate to call me."_

"_Don't be so formal man! It's been ages! How 'bout we go for a drink later? Like old times?"_

"_That won't be necessary captain. I still have paperwork to attend to afterwards. Still, I thank you for the offer…is that all?"_

"_Oh, uh, yes, Lieutenant. You are dismissed…"_

He treated him like a complete stranger. Not in a hostile or uncivilized way, but, in a way that felt so….different, so far away.

So uncharacteristically different. Just what had caused this drastic change?

Has the Judas he came to know erased from existence?

During their new time together as a working team, he felt like he never knew him, like all the time they spent together meant absolutely nothing to the man.

He didn't talk nor entertain the man unless absolutely necessary or because of work.

All his invitations to reconnect, and to hang out like it was years ago were shot down immediately, saying he had better things to do.

Sure it hurt, but soon he understood.

Only then had he realized his shortcomings.

That, for almost a little over half a decade, he had not contacted the man.

He never wrote, never saw, and never interacted with his friend.

He realized how selfish it was to act all chummy like he had done nothing wrong, especially with a person that was once the closest to him.

Not after he'd simply forgotten about him.

He then promised to himself that he would make it up to him. He would do anything to bring back what was lost and rekindle their old friendship.

Alexander was persistent, but Judas never budged at first, but as the months rolled by, he could feel his stoic mask chip away by his presence alone.

It was a success, he thought, he had hope, that the man he once knew was still there, somehow.

Under the heavy masking of professionalism and distant personality.

Even if he wasn't completely like he was before, Alexander was satisfied, because he knew he had gained even the littlest of his trust back.

And then the events of Ohara happened, and the situation was rockier than ever before. After his 'betrayal' he just couldn't find the will to reconnect again.

The stubborn man had finally given up.

Or so he thought.

Alexander released a large sigh, and slowly faced the lieutenant.

"What do you want, _Jude_?"

The said man's eyes widened, completely surprised by the name he thought he had forgotten, but recovered in an instant.

"I-I want to apologize. I knew it was wrong, but I didn't take your side. I…I was scared, Al. I am powerless against _that_ man."

Judas stated in a low voice, trailing softly as he walked forward, nearing the ex-captain until he was face to face with the man.

He sat down, and opened a latch to give the man his much needed luncheon.

"Here, I know it's already past lunch time, but I couldn't sneak some until the others left the cafeteria. It's not much, but please eat. You're hungry, and don't you dare deny it. I _know_ you, Al."

Alexander did not reply as he let the lieutenant speak his thoughts, he was grateful for the meal, and began eating the loaf of bread and left over soup given to him.

Judas didn't leave. He sat there, opposite of him, watching him eat. Seemingly deep in thought. Shakily, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a shiny silver key.

He fumbled with the lock as he tried to slowly pry it open.

"O-Oi Jude! What are you doing?!"

"Doing what's right. You don't deserve to be imprisoned here. I'll help you escape. In a few minutes, we'll dock near Toroa. That's your hometown, right?"

"What?! No! I am NOT letting _you_ free _me_!" Alexander shouted.

"Are you crazy?! You'll get in major trouble if you do that! Heck, they'll even terminate you! Have you gone nuts?!"

Alexander huffed in protest, at what he thought was the stupidest thing the man in front of him attempted to do.

Judas could only stare at him, his decision unwavering.

"I've made up my mind Al. You didn't do anything wrong. I on the other hand…well I couldn't say the same thing. I think I've lost my humanity. I guess you can call this repaying my debt to you."

"Huh? What debt? I don't recall doing anything to make you think you owe me."

"Cut the crap Al, I know I've ignored you and treated you like a stranger, but still, you haven't given up on befriending me again. I am a horrible friend."

"No! Don't! Don't you dare say that! _I_ was the one at fault! I left you there, without a word, nor a goodbye, I've basically forgotten about you! Yet, you still put up with me despite that…"

The two exchanged their unspoken words they kept under the rug for years. It reopened some old wounds, but the closure helped sealed it shut.

Tears rolled down the men's eyes, both letting out their bottled up feelings after so long.

Sniffing loudly at his runny nose, Lieutenant Judas faced his old friend.

"Hah, you never change, Al."

"Heh, unlike someone I know."

"Oh shut up."

The two exchanged a good laugh, feeling content at their reconciliation.

"Anyway, you can't just bust out of here, marines are practically littered everywhere, but I know their stations and when they'll leave after they unpack. Use that time to escape via a cargo of rations. It's usually unguarded, well, except for the cooks."

"Thank you, Jude. You even planned everything, as expected of you hahaha"

"Of course I would, now-"

*RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING* *RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING* *RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*

The loud sirens rang loud once again indicating they were nearing the port.

"We don't have much time left."

Judas said, quickly unlocking the remaining locks, soon, the large metal bars were open, and Alexander cautiously left the cell.

Throwing him a coat he stole from some soldier, he led the way out.

Alexander put on the coat handed to him and followed Judas, to the second level of the warship, where most of the cargo was located.

After avoiding a few patrolling marines, they finally managed to sneak into one of their planned escape-cargo.

Shuffling under the cover of the wooden structure, Alexander made himself comfortable, as comfortable as he possibly could atop barrels of fruit and other goods, before peeking out to check if Judas was still there.

"Hey, don't peek! Do you wanna get caught or something?"

"The same goes for you!"

"_Ugh_ Al! We've talked about this. I'll be fine. Just stay put and I'll guard you here. Now stay quiet, I can hear them coming."

True to his word, Alexander could feel the heavy footsteps as it vibrated even in his hiding spot.

He could hear the faint conversation of what he assumed to be the cooks that Judas was talking about, before it eventually died down and he heard Judas' voice one last time.

"This is it Al, I can't help you any further than here. I convinced them to load the rations earlier, and away from most of the others. Make sure you escape, got that, Al?!"

Alexander couldn't stop himself from tearing up again.

"You know I will, Jude, and…I can't thank you enough, for everything." Alexander replied, his voice unsteady.

"Be safe and…goodbye, Al."

Lieutenant Judas walked off, wiping the tears forming in his eyes.

This is it.

Alexander thought, he could feel Judas leaving, and just as he promised, he was transported somewhere distinctively away from the other loads.

Carefully, he made his escape, and fled the scene without anyone noticing.

He ran fast, faster than the wind, and after a while, he arrived at the doorstep he so longed to be on, and quickly knocked on the door.

He waited patiently, his excitement bubbling from his insides made him giddy and nervous in anticipation.

Surely, light footsteps neared him, and the door opened, his wife staring at him in surprise, disbelief and happiness all together.

"A-Alex?"

"Hi honey, I've missed you."

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At the western side of the island, a particular little girl was frozen in her tracks at the revelation slapped onto her face.

God really knew how to mess with her.

"Dere-shishishi! Is my name that surprising Brielle-san?"

The older girl, who called herself Robin, had asked the bubbly girl before her. She was quite amused by her antics, but found her personality endearing.

"Ah? Ahahahahaha! I-I was just surprised! Your name sounds so cool! And-and I don't know anyone here named Robin, so that means you really aren't from here, that's all, ahahahahaha…."

Brielle replied at record speed, waving her hands franticly, trying her hardest to justify her sudden outburst.

"_Calm down Brie, Calm down…..BRIE YOU IDIOT! YOU KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP WITH THAT LAUGH! YOU CALLED IT! WHY DIDN'T YOU REALIZE IT SOONER? SHE WAS ALL ALONE, HAD BLACK HAIR, LOOKED AROUND THE SAME AGE AS HER IN CANON, THERE WAS A BOAT JUST LYING THERE AND THERE WAS A FREAKING ICE PATH. AN _ICE_ PATH ON THE OCEAN."_

For a moment there, it looked like the girl had stopped functioning for a second.

"_LIKE THERE WAS NOTHING ODD ABOUT THAT FOR PETE'S SAKE! UGHHHHASDFGHJKL"_

Her mind was currently in chaos at the unexpected encounter.

"_What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?"_

What was she supposed to do? She was not prepared AT ALL. She was almost panicking, but it wasn't evident by her facial expression. It was blank at most.

Thankfully, her mind went on autopilot as she tried her best to act as if there was nothing surprising of her name.

"Ah—Robin-nee, can I call you that? Are you hungry? Cause I am! Ahahaha….."

"_Oh wow, such smoothness Brie. Great job. Totally unsuspicious and un-nervous at all."_

The girl silently mocked herself for how she acted, she just prayed to God she wouldn't ruin her chances at befriending one of her favorite characters.

"_No, they aren't mere characters anymore. She's a real person. I need to stop thinking of them as characters anymore. I shouldn't be putting them on a pedestal. I should just act as if I didn't know her complete backstory and what hell she'll go through and what she would become under the strawhats. Yup. No problem at all."_

Notice the hint of sarcasm.

"Of course you can, why not? um hello? Earth to Brielle-san? You okay?" Robin's brows knitted together, waving a hand in front of the younger girl's eyes.

This apparently did the trick, she was pulled out from whatever trance she was in, pulling her back to reality.

"I'm fine, sorry 'bout that ahahaha, I'm probably really hungry if I was spacing out like that! Common! I have some sandwiches we can eat."

"Oh okay then."

Brielle led her by the hand, they climbed up and onto the clearing. She pulled out the snacks her mother prepared for her, and gave one to Robin, shyly accepting her offer.

She handed her a cheese sandwich wrapped in a piece of table napkin. Robin carefully unwrapped the napkin and took a small bite.

"Woah! This tastes really good Brielle-san!" The girl proclaimed, now taking larger bites.

Brielle, took a bite for herself, indulging the sweet and tangy taste.

"Uh-huh! It's because my mommy made these! She cooks really yummy food!"

"Ah, I see. That's nice…"

"_Shoot! Good going Brie! You just reminded her of her dead mother! Wow, just wow. Can you get any worse?"_

Brielle winced as she mentally slapped herself for making such a mistake.

"_Gotta avoid that topic, quick!"_

"S-Say, Brielle-san…."

"Huh? What is it? Robin-nee?"

"Can…..can I be, your friend?"

"But aren't you already my friend?"

"No-I mean…..how can you say that?…..You…..you don't even know me at all!"

"You dummy! Friends don't immediately know everything about them! Friends tell each other about themselves once they feel like they can trust them. So, if you don't trust me yet, I understand."

"_Oh….I guess I didn't really thought about that…." _Robin pondered.

"That's really kind of you to say Brielle-san…but, I am…a monster."

"Wha?"

"I'm not….normal."

"What do you mean, Robin-nee?"

Brielle asked despite already knowing the answer.

"I…I ate a devil fruit." Robin replied, turning her head away, eyes looking distant.

"A whaaa?" The younger of the two questioned.

"_I gotta play dumb. I am literally a five year old. There is no way I would know something as bizarre as a devil fruit at this age, and in this small town no less."_

"Oh…you probably don't know about that yet, but, to put it simply, it makes those that eat it, much less human. It grants them powers…but that doesn't matter! It made me a monster!"

"Woooaaaahhhhh! Really? Then, do you have those powers?! Let me see! Let me see!"

Brielle eagerly replied, completely disregarding her claims of being a 'monster'.

She wanted to look less threatening towards the other girl. She knew of her past, trauma. People from Ohara ostracized her, just because she became something special.

And if that wasn't enough, it was up to her own judgment whether or not she was a monster, which clearly, she wasn't.

"_She's probably testing me, whether I judge her or not. If I get freaked out by her hana-hana powers….. Well, as much as I've seen it in anime. I don't really know what to imagine, having limbs grow out like flowers. Guess I'll find out then."_

"Didn't you hear what I just said?"

Her voice croaked, her hurtful memories resurfacing.

"I did, but that's for me to decide, not you! Now common! I wanna see your powers!"

Robin didn't know how to react to that statement, but it gave her hope.

"_Maybe…."_

"A-Are you sure? You might…...think I'm weird."

"Whaaaaat? But I haven't even seen it yet! I know it's something cool! Common! I won't freak out, I promise!"

"I-If you say so…"

Robin looked like she was in internal conflict with herself. She lowered her head, her bangs fell and framed her youthful face, covering her eyes.

Slowly, a set of hands started to sprout from her forearm. It glowed white as it emerged from nowhere.

There were now three arms present on the right side of her body.

Now, little Brielle knew what to expect already, but it looked waaaaaay different from what she imagined.

Definitely realistic, she thought, but she wasn't scared, she was more inclined and interested by how her powers worked.

"_If she can sprout any limb from nothing, then does that mean she can regenerate any part of her body? Does she have an unlimited amount of bone and tissue to sprout limbs out of practically anything? For infinity and beyond? Does she feel everything that her 'clone' limbs feel? If so, then wouldn't that be a major drawback?"_

Because the girl was thinking so hard about her unanswered questions, Robin thought the worst possible scenario in her head. She thought she scared her so much that she was unable to move.

"I-I'm sorry! My powers scared you! I'm a monster I knew it was weird! I-I'll go now!"

The olive skinned girl pulled back from Brielle, the extra arms disappeared, leaving a trail of petals. She backed away, in an attempt to flee, away from her.

"Wait! No! I'm not scared!"

"Liar! You're so scared that you couldn't move! I've seen enough to know what the faces of those scared of me looks like!"

Robin turned around, ready to sprint any second. She needed to get away, but Brielle's words stopped her in her tracks.

"No! I am not scared! You got it all wrong!"

Brielle shouted, to clear the obvious misunderstanding.

"Please listen! I was AMAZED! I HAVE NEVER SEEN SOMETHING SO COOL IN MY _LIFE_!"

The taller of the two jolted at her declaration. Never in her life had someone compliment her powers, not even one, but this girl, she wasn't even scared one bit!

She turned around to face Brielle looking at her, eyes pleading her not to leave.

The little girl screamed at the top of her lungs. Sure, she might come off as too enthusiastic about it, but darn was she not getting this chance to befriend her slip away. Not on her watch. Not in a million years.

"What? No way-You" Robin stuttered, in denial of what she had just heard.

"How did you do that?! That was so cool! Your arms! They multiplied! Can you teach me how to do that? I can do so many things with that many hands! Imagine _that_!"

Brielle kept rambling on about how cool her powers was, and how useful it was. Claiming to want having such a power like hers.

She couldn't believe her ears. There was actually someone that judged her because of her powers? No name calling, no calling her a weirdo, a freak, a devil?

She was different, Robin concluded.

She judged her wrongly, just like those that hated her without even knowing her.

This made her tear up. There were people like her that exists?

"Robin-nee! Hey…Are you crying? Was it something I said? I'm sorry! I-I was just!"

"W-why are you apologizing, Brielle-san?"

Robin chuckled, even though tears slid off her eyes, as she knelt down, at the younger girl's level, patting her head.

"I-I thought, you might think I'm too much…"

"No no, I'm sorry, I judged you too quickly, but, thank you….."

"Hah? Why are you thanking me, silly?"

"Fufufu, never mind that, hey, can you tell me more about yourself, Brielle-san?"

"Oh…..okay!" Brielle replied, happy that she somehow convinced her that she was not afraid of her.

She stood up, her hands on her hips, and wearing a large smile, she reintroduced herself again.

"My name is Brielle! Five years old! I can sing and play the ukulele! And! And! I wanna go and explore the world someday! Now, its your turn, Robin-nee!"

The girl laughed, as she held her hands as to pull the other girl up from where she sat.

"Ah! But only if you want to." Brielle added.

Robin smiled, and took her hand. She dusted the dirt from her dress and returned the same smile.

"My name is Robin, I'm eight years old, and I'm an archeologist! I want to learn about the true history someday."

"An archeologist?" Brielle asked, she titled her head, and scratched it in confusion.

As much as she already knew of her, she had to play dumb.

She didn't like deceiving her, but there was no other option. She couldn't just go off and proclaim that she already knew her.

It just wouldn't make any sense, and she didn't want her to get suspicious of her.

She had already planned so much, and she isn't going to let go of the clueless façade, because frankly, she _was_ supposed to be clueless.

"It's a person that studies the history of the world."

"Woaaahhhh then, you must be really smart!"

"Oh, fufufufu thank you, Brielle-san, I'm flattered."

The two continued to talk until it was almost sundown. By that time, Robin had already told the girl what happened to her hometown, and all the tragedies that had occured.

Robin didn't know why she was telling someone she met only by a few hours everything, but even though it was very unlike her, a part of her knew she could trust the girl, and somehow felt that she was much more mature than she let on.

Yet, she viewed her as someone innocent, one that has not been tainted by the cruel world around her. She was free from judgment and had a free spirit.

She could tell that she was a warm hearted person that reminded her of her late friend, Saul, that sacrificed himself for her.

She was happy, that she found someone, someone that accepted her.

"Hey, Robin-nee….you should stay at our house!" Brielle suggested, looking awfully excited at the idea of her staying over her house.

"Huh? But I don't want to be a bother." Robin replied, rubbing her arm in a nervous manner.

"Nu-uh! I've decided! You have nowhere to go! I can't leave you here!"

Brielle humped in defiance. She insisted that she take her offer.

"Well, I do have nowhere to go….but, if it's okay, then, I accept."

"Yay!"

Brielle shouted in glee, earning a small smile from Robin.

She packed her things, and she led the way back to their house. Robin was trailing after her, with her hand placed securely in the little girl's smaller hand.

By the time the two arrived, Brielle was ecstatic to introduce her to her mother. She knocked on the door and called out,

"Mommy! I'm home! I also brought-"

"Brie? Is that you?"

A familiar voice called out, accompanied by fast approaching footsteps. The door opened, and she saw her father, grinning happily at her.

"Daddy? DADDY!"

Brielle threw herself at her father, happy and surprised to see him after so long.

"Hi Brie! I've missed you so muuuch!" Alexander stated, showering his little girl with kisses.

Melody peeked out from the kitchen, also smiling, and slowly approached the two.

"Welcome back Brie, oh? Who's your friend here, sweetie?"

The mother neared the three, curious as to who her daughter brought home with her from her play time.

"Oh! Um, Mommy, Daddy, this is Robin-nee, Robin-nee, these are my Mommy and Daddy!"

Brielle smiled, introducing the older girl to her parents. She was a bit shy at first, as she stood behind her, cautious, but then she walked forward and bowed.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Merlin." She spoke in a formal voice.

"No need to be so formal dear, just call me Melody, of Mel for short, if you'd like."

"Same here, just call me Alex! Nice to meet you too."

The two welcomed their daughter's new friend instantly, and learned over dinner that she had nowhere to go at the moment, and so they generously offered to let her stay with them for the time being.

To say that Robin blended in pretty smoothly was a huge understatement. Both Melody and Alexander were eager to know more about the new friend their daughter had befriended, much to Brie's embarrassment. They could be too much sometimes, but it was endearing.

They settled that she could sleep in Brielle's room, as they had a spare futon hidden somewhere and the two slept soundly.

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The next day felt like any other day. Melody woke up early to prepare a hearty breakfast for her family and their special guest, Robin.

She rummaged through the cupboard to find the ingredients to make miso soup. There was nothing better than waking up with a warm bowl of miso soup!

The mother busied herself in the kitchen, she pulled out a large pot and started boiling water for the soup, she also started making some side dishes as well, such as scrambled eggs and onigiri.

Everything was going great. Her husband had returned much earlier than expected, and that was a good thing, right?

She hummed as she finished up making breakfast. She went outside to pick up the daily news delivered by the news coo.

As expected, the papers were already there, placed on their doorstep. She bent down to pick it up, and curiously flipped through the pages.

A news article caught her eyes. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she skimmed through the contents of the writings.

The last page struck her.

"W-What?"

She didn't know what to think. She couldn't process what she just read. A shaky hand came up to her mouth in shock.

The newspaper slipped through her fingertips, and it fell on the ground. Its content lay flat and visible.

"Merlin Alexander- Ex-marine Captain/ WANTED: 100,000,000 million belli"

"Nico Robin – Devil Child/ WANTED: 79,000,000 million belli"

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"Puru puru puru…..puru puru puru…kacha!"

"How was the mission? Did you do it as I asked?"

"Naturally, I never disappoint."

"Heh, you'll be receiving your reward soon. Good job, and thank you for your work."

"Likewise, I'll also be expecting a promotion soon, no?"

"Of course, of course! It is only fitting of your service."

"Thank you."

"No problem, _Captain_."

"Kacha!"

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Word Count: 5,564

Date of Publication: April 7, 2020


	12. Chapter 12 - A Sense of Relief

A/N- Hey I'm back, back again. Eh, I don't really have much to say in this chapter, except for a mild warning for swearing and feels. That is all, have a good day, and happy reading! – Diwata

Reviews are highly appreciated! So please leave one if you'd like.

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"Speaking"

"_Thoughts"_

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.**

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Brielle woke up early, feeling a little bit sluggish from sleep and was rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she slowly got down from her bed, when something caught her eye.

There was another person in her bedroom besides her.

Nervousness surged her entire being the moment she realized that information in a nanosecond.

A mop of the same black hair just like hers, except much straighter was seen on the head of another child, sleeping peacefully on top of a futon laid just a few feet away from her bed.

She had to do a double take before the sudden recollection of everything that had happened yesterday came back like a boomerang.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh I MET ROBIN! AND I BEFRIENDED HER TOO! ASDFGHJJKL!"

She slapped her round cheeks slightly to keep herself together.

"_I MET ROBIN OH GOSH! OH MY GOSH! GAAAAAAHHHHHH!"_

All of her delayed excitement fell down upon her tiny frame in one fell swoop.

She was pulling off a Bartolomeo type of fangirling with how she was acting, well, internally, that is. Unlike Barto, he was much more open and expressive of his emotions and adorations, Brielle on the other hand, had more control over her feelings.

She had a reputation to uphold, she told herself.

She stared at her sleeping form, observing her features. She could immediately tell that she was pretty, with her straight black hair, long lashes, plump lips, and a high-nose bridge most Filipinos envy.

Slowly, the girl stirred in her sleep which made Brielle jolt in response. She didn't want to get caught staring, that was just weird.

Even if she was a child who could probably get away with it just by pulling a 'mere curiosity' pass granted unto her as a child.

Brielle decided not to go down yet, as she looked at the clock in her room that read 6:15 am. It was pretty late considering if she was in her usual training routine, but since this week had been full of bad stuff, and with the addition of Robin, things had slowed down for a bit.

She took a moment to think about what her next course of action would be.

She hadn't expected to meet Robin so early in the game. She wasn't prepared yet. The thought of even meeting her didn't come across her mind at all.

"_I don't know how much I'm affecting the timeline right now, even more so by meeting Robin. Heck, I'm not even supposed to exist! But, still, I'm thankful for the chance to be alive."_

The child thought, her face contorted into a look of pure concentration.

"_Speaking of Robin, I'm glad that I did meet her, especially after the bombing of Ohara. She must have been severely traumatized. At least somehow I can provide her emotional support."_

Brielle concluded, looking back at the said girl with a soft look.

"_But how do things go on from now? What would happen next?"_

The girl started to worry about the future, which she often does, but she could only do so much to appease her thoughts.

She carefully made her way to her drawer, her most recent hiding place for her journal, and took a pen. She tip-toed back on her bed, careful not to wake the other girl up.

She opened the journal, and on a fresh page, she began to write. Using 'Bulaklak' as a codename for Robin, as she found it appropriate as her devil fruit powers meant 'bloom-bloom' like a flower.

She then jotted down all that she could remember about her life.

It was a tragic one, no surprise there, but like many other characters introduced in the One Piece universe, may it be a good guy or not, everybody had a sad backstory that gets the girl crying every darn time during her previous life.

Following after the events of Ohara, the life that she would be living for the next twenty years wasn't an easy one. It was like a sick game of betrayal and survival.

She had nowhere to go, and all the people she ever went with ended with them wanting to turn her in for her bounty. She always had to watch her back, developing a cold, calculating, and manipulative personality.

But Brielle could understand, with those extreme circumstances, she had no other choice, and she wanted to live, even if the world wanted her dead.

Joining Baroque Works provided her to have some sense of security. Working under Bayawak granted her safety from the World Government and the Navy.

But things started to get better for her once Luffy goes to Alabasta, and eventually saving both the country and herself from the falling debris under King Cobra's underground poneglyph hiding space.

She couldn't deny that her time with them during the Skypeia Arc and Water Seven Arc before the CP9 recruited her, made it possible for her to be able to believe in their friendship to the point that she was willing to sacrifice herself for them.

And at last, the Enies Lobby Arc, where the most heart-wrenching "I WANT TO LIVE!" was heard after countless times of asking her if she wanted to live, and wanting to hear it from her, curtsey of Luffy, and successfully burning the flag of the World Government that shadowed over her, curtsey of Usopp.

She had finally settled into their crew, and their journey through thick and thin continued.

"Ahhhh I wanna cry again." Brielle whispered, reminiscing Robin's story and character development.

Writing the last of her knowledge, she closed her journal, and looked back at Robin, expecting her to be asleep, but to her surprise, and horror, she was staring back at her, with her light blue eyes.

"Good morning, Brielle-san"

Robin said with a slight chuckle, like she was not at all intently staring at her while she was busy writing something on her notebook

"GAH! Don't scare me like that Robin-nee!" Brielle whined, clutching her heart from being scared witless.

"Fufufu I see you're an early bird, what are you writing so early in the morning?" The older girl asked, curious of what she was scribbling down.

"I'm writing on my journal" Brielle replied truthfully, with a straight face, and effectively avoided answering her question.

She couldn't just say:

"Oh yeah, I was just rewriting your whole story, through memory, things are gonna be real tough for the next twenty years, but it's all going to work out in the end."

"Hoooh? That's pretty neat." Robin commented, still curious.

"Mhm, but you can't read it though, it's sort of like my diary"

Brielle said, equally nervous, because she might use her hana-hana powers to spy on her writings, but she had written it in tagalog, so it wasn't a problem, but still she can't help but worry, but at the same time she was hopeful that she would respect her privacy.

"I wasn't planning to"

Robin replied as her curiosity died down, with a small smile on her face, and a hand placed on the side of her face. She was still lying down on the futon on her stomach, swinging her legs back and forth.

Her smile, also made Brielle smile. Seeing her like this, made her happy, that even by her undeserved existence, she was able to make her life a tad bit better than it originally was.

Was she able to smile like this before? To have such a carefree smile even after all the things that had happened just less than a day ago?

This girl was strong, way stronger than her. She could only hope that things would still turn out the way it did for her despite all the hardships, as those molded her into the person she would become.

"Hello? Brielle-san?" Robin asked Brielle, looking spaced out, much like their first encounter.

"Eh?" the girl snapped out from her thoughts and looked at her.

"You're spacing out again, does this happen often?" The older girl asked herself.

"Only when I'm hungry though! Common, Robin-nee, let's go have breakfast, I'm sure mommy's done cooking, I can feel it!"

That earned a laugh from the other girl as she hummed a 'yes' in reply.

After putting her journal away in a safe place, she led Robin downstairs towards their kitchen, and as Brielle expected, breakfast was already set on their dining table.

The two happily sat themselves next to each other, talking about trivial things. Brielle though, was able to sense something off about her mother.

Spending a lot of time together with her during training allowed her to notice the subtle changes in her mood.

And all her Brielle-senses were telling her screamed 'danger'.

Sensing eminent danger, she lowered her speaking voice while talking to Robin, and in return, she subconsciously started speaking quieter to match her voice.

Her father, on the other hand, was clueless to her change, and breakfast progressed as without a hitch, if one could say that.

Alexander was the talkative one of the bunch, asking questions here and there, with the occasional compliments of how delicious the food was, only receiving a shadowed smile from his wife.

After their meal, Melody suggested that the two of them go play somewhere else, and that was the indicator, of what horrors were to unfold.

Her mother wanted Robin and her away from the house, no doubt.

"_Ah, I could feel a volcano erupting_."

Brielle mused to herself as she lent her bigger clothes to Robin, as both were already showered and ready to retrea—go play outside.

Her clothes fit her well, it was one of her more comfy oversized dresses, and thankfully, it fit her like a glove.

By the time the two were at the doorstep, waving goodbye at her parents, with Alexander looking as bubbly and energetic as ever, Brielle gave one last meaningful look towards her father, and thought,

"_Shizz has hit the fan, and she's coming for you. I hope you survive the onslaught, dad, I'll be praying for you."_

And with that final thought, the two children left the house.

_._

_._

_._

"You have exactly three seconds to start explaining before I kick your ass."

An angry Melody exclaimed, with her brows furrowed deep, veins bulging and an immensely deadly aura radiating off of her in waves.

"H-Honey? What do you mean?"

Alexander gulped in response, slowly backing away as his primal instinct.

He did not know what upset her wife this early in the morning. She was perfectly fine during breakfast, so just what flipped her off so much to the point that she was actually cursing?

"Oh no you don't! Don't you dare play dumb with me!"

Melody snarled, holding a now-crumpled paper in hand, inching closer, step by step, cornering her visibly terrified husband.

"Wha? I-I don't- No- I-"

The man stuttered, unable to form coherent words as tongue refused to cooperate with him.

He was unknowingly pushed from the door frame and into the corner of the kitchen, just beside their fridge, meaning:

There was nowhere to run.

"Cat's got your tongue, _honey_?" Melody asked in a perfectly intimidating tone, effectively scaring Alexander down to his very knees.

It was at this moment, he knew, he fucked up.

A truly ironic sight from a man that stood his ground against a navy vice admiral.

He was sweating bullets, his heart wanted to leap out of his ribcage, and his mind wanted to shut down to avoid this confrontation.

He rarely saw his wife like this, and he wanted to keep it that way, as it was only reserved for him and him alone when he had messed up something so badly, that it would result to something as horrific as _this_.

When his wife was unhappy, no one was happy.

"Look- Mel- I don't really know what made you upset—I-"

Before the man could finish his sentence, something- the daily newspaper to be exact, was shoved into his face for him to take a good look.

What he saw made his blood run cold.

"_SHIT"_

"When you came home one week earlier than your supposed leave, I was suspicious, but I didn't ask you because I knew you would tell me the reason sooner or later."

Melody started, turning away from him. She hugged herself, as her shoulders shook along with her voice.

Alexander was speechless.

He had totally forgotten about his whole ordeal, it was foolish of him to think that after challenging a man of his rank and caliber would leave him unscathed.

No way, no way in hell.

Not even a lifetime's amount of luck would save him from his predicament.

His mind went blank.

No, it wasn't because he had forgotten it on purpose, he just didn't want her to worry. He didn't want to involve her in this giant tangled mess that he created.

"I waited. I waited until you could tell me. But I guess being your wife doesn't mean anything to make you trust me enough to tell me what happened."

She looked at him, with hot tears clouding her vision, her earlier anger faded and was replaced with sorrow. She didn't like being left in the dark, especially with matters like these.

She felt like she was being pushed aside and left feeling useless. If she cannot even have her husband confide in her, then what was her purpose?

To just sit tight and look pretty while her husband suffered?

If he had a problem, then it would be her problem as well, and they would figure it out and solve everything together, as a family.

Because that's what families are supposed to do, right?

"Is it too much to ask that you tell me everything?! I would always listen and I would always understand!" Melody screamed at him, her emotions running wild.

It took a few seconds before Alexander finally had the courage to stand up despite his weakened knees, and enveloped his hurting wife in a tight embrace, burrowing his head on top of her golden blond hair.

"I'm…..I'm sorry" He managed to say, in a soft, sincere and apologetic tone.

What he thought to be the best solution: to keep his problems under the bridge, was actually the worst.

How could he blatantly lie and pretend that nothing was wrong? He knew very well how much she cares and worries for her, more so than herself.

The sole reason for him to make such a lack of better judgement?

Fear.

He was scared.

Scared that his actions would harm her in a way that she doesn't deserve.

He witnessed things that he wished he never saw.

Justice, as he once highly believed in, had it its dark side, closed and hidden behind sinister doors.

He had to turn a blind eye and keep his mouth shut towards the mysterious deaths that occurred every now and again during his time there.

He had been ordered to whitewash stories imprinted on newspapers in order to cover their own heinous acts.

All of which were intended to make the tarnishes of the marine ideology disappear and the people who expose it were silenced for good.

How he managed to continue working like that was a mystery.

His previous views of the navy vaporized the moment he was assigned to do such things.

His only motivation left, was his family, and the littlest of hope that something would change the foul stench engulfing the backdoors of justice.

They had a reputation to uphold, and achieving that level of credibility required them to soil their hands whether they liked it or not.

He was not fazed by the usual coverage in his line of work. He had done it many times, and he had gone numb.

The usual stories of families, friends and even mere acquaintances of those people being hunted, kidnapped, and bribed was not an unfamiliar one.

As long as they had ties with other people, they would take advantage of it and use it as a leverage to get them out of hiding.

Even going as far as threatening to kill them in order to attain their objective, and have them surrendering on their knees.

And conveniently, after the goal was achieved, a new 'altered' story would resurface claiming the victims of their dirty work a result of the horrific deeds of pirates who they happened to cross by, further incriminating their reputation.

It was a perfect plan, as expected of them, those dirty bastards.

Gaining the undying support of the public, and hating the pirates even more. They made it seem like everything was in black and white, and that there was no grey area.

Ah, what perfect manipulation.

If those happened to them, then they would not have a reason not to do it to him. There was an extremely high chance it could happen to him and his family.

The last thing he wanted was to put his beloved family in danger.

Not in his lifetime.

That's the reason why he didn't want to tell Melody, but alas, things don't usually go his way.

But maybe, it was for the best.

He couldn't keep it a secret, and the 'truth' would come out sooner or later. He was just helplessly delaying the inevitable.

His warm hug brought Melody into tears even more, she was now sobbing loudly, unable to keep the bottled negative feelings anymore. The floodgates were now wide open.

"I thought we didn't keep each other secrets." Melody asked, in a broken voice.

"I know, I'm sorry….I-I was just scared, Mel. I messed up, and I don't want you to know because I don't want you to worry, but I guess that made you worry even more, I know I'm stupid—I I hope you can forgive me. I-I'll tell you everything."

Alexander said, in a hushed and vulnerable voice, rubbing circles on his wife's back to comfort her.

"Thank you, honey." Melody replied, feeling tired and leaned closer to his touch.

The two went into their bedroom, safe from any curious ears that might hear their conversation. They sat on their bed, and carefully, Alexander explained everything.

From his less than humane part of his work, all the unseen shade of the marines, the incident of Ohara, and the underlying threat—well, more accurately, the blatant threat of the marines that would jump the gun to make another one of their many "unfortunate accidents".

Melody listened to him intently, not commenting anything until he finished his side of the story. He was grateful that she didn't once doubted his words, despite having such a large bounty on his head. She really is one of a kind.

"Oh Alex…it must have been painful for you…I'm sorry"

Melody cried as she hugged him, she rested his head on her breast, rubbing his back like he did to her prior.

He had been trying to stay strong all this time, and having the validation that he wasn't judged and hated despite the stains on his hands, finally gave him the liberty to break down and cry.

He cried, harder than he'd ever done before.

His wife whispered reassuring words, saying that everything would be alright, hugging him close, her warmth felt like a protective barrier that separated him from the cruelty of the world.

It exhausted him, his heavy emotional baggage was lifted from his conscience.

The two stayed like that, and unconsciously fell asleep on the comforting warmth of each other's presence on their mattress.

It had been exactly two hours since they both slept soundly, but their peace was broken by a couple of knocks from the door.

"Mel? Mel are you there? It's me, Lia."

A familiar call came from outside their house. It was Ophelia, who was waiting patiently on their doorstep waiting for a response.

Her call effectively woke the couple from their slumber.

"Ughh…..huh?" Melody blinked her eyes slowly, adjusting to the light that seeped through their window.

"Mel? Anybody there?" Ophelia continued to call out, with the same reserved tone.

"Honey, I think it's Lia…" Alex said in a groggy voice.

"Oh! I forgot she was coming over!" Melody exclaimed, her voice loud and surprised.

Upon the realization, all her sleepiness vanished, and was scrambling to get to the door.

"I'm here, Lia! A moment please!" Melody shouted, effectively gaining the attention of the other woman outside.

"Okay, Mel"

Melody fixed her bed hair and straightened her dress in an attempt to make herself a bit more presentable.

"Wait—honey…what about you? You should hide first, you are technically wanted, and no one knows you've returned yet…"

"I know honey, I'll hide in here for the meantime, you go on ahead downstairs and meet Lia."

"Alright."

She opened the door to welcome Ophelia, but to her surprise, she wasn't alone, she was with her husband, Chiko and on his arms was their son, Byron.

"Oh! I thought it was just you, Lia, I didn't expect you all to be here."

"Excuse us for the intrusion, Mel. It was supposed to be just Ophie and I, but Byron wanted to play with Brie again, saying he hasn't seen her in a while." Chiko explained, scratching his head with his free hand.

"Hi Aunt Mel!" Byron added, accompanied with a smile

"Hi Byron, nice to see you again, and, is that so? Well then, the more the merrier, come inside please."

"Thank you." The three said collectively.

The family entered their home, and sat on one of their couches. Byron was quick to search around the place, looking left and right, searching for his kinda-sister, but she was nowhere to be found.

"Aunt Mel, where's Brie? Is she home?" Byron asked, with a hopeful look in his face.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, she just went out to play with Ro-"

"_Shoot! I forgot about Robin! Isn't the sweet little girl wanted as well? How dare the marines put such a big bounty on her head? What would they think? I'm pretty sure the daily news are already distributed to the entire island! I guess I have to keep her a secret for now…..…"_

Melody thought to herself as she cut off what she was about to say, clearing her throat, she explained to the boy again.

"I mean, she went out ahead earlier with a friend, so she's not here at the moment. I'm sorry." Melody explained to Byron.

The boy's face fell from hearing that his friend wasn't there, and what's worse was that she was with another person other than him.

Not that he was jealous or anything.

"Whaaaaaaaaat? But I haven't seen her in _ages_!" Byron exclaimed, exaggerating his voice and looked like he was about to throw a fit, earning a bit of a stare from his parents.

He had always been a bit reserved like his mother, well, except for when he was playing with Brielle, but this was new, they guessed he just had a stronger attachment to the little girl than they've expected.

"D-Did she…did she forget about me?" The boy said in a sad voice, slowly, tears formed in his eyes and was threatening to fall.

"Oh no! Why would you think that?" Melody asked, surprised at his conclusion.

"Well—sniff—she doesn't come by our house anymore, saying she had been doing stuff! But aren't we friends? Friends are supposed to play with each other and go to their houses! A-And you said she was with another person! I'm her only friend!"

Byron said, showing a bit of childish possessiveness over the said girl, his nose runny from almost crying.

"Oh Byron, she hasn't forgotten about you. She was just having singing lessons with me, and I guess I'm to blame for not getting her to play with you as often, I'm sorry, but, she's allowed to have other friends too you know. It's not nice to keep someone from having friends."

"Byron, son, your Aunt Mel is right, now, I know how you like playing with Brielle very much, but she has to things to do by herself too, but that doesn't mean she's forgotten about you."

Chiko said, facing his son sitting on his lap, with a smile, thinking that he really liked Alex's kid.

"R-Really?" Byron asked, still unsure of their words.

"That's right Byron, don't think of it too much of it, I know Brielle well, and I know she just doesn't go and forget about their friends, and I'm sure you'll be able to play with you all day, soon."

Ophelia added, calming the boy down and reassuring him that his playmate and closest friend would soon be able to play with him again.

"O-Okay then." The boy said, rubbing his eyes using the back of his hand.

"Sorry for the sudden unnoticed visit, Mel, but you see, we're actually here to talk to you about something."

Ophelia stated, her voice turning serious, unlike her usual demeanor. This scared the other woman instantly. Her face blanched and her throat suddenly felt dry.

"O-Oh? Well, what is it then?" Melody asked the two, trying her best to keep her nervousness at check. She had to be careful of their words, as she couldn't afford to get caught in a lie, if push comes to shove.

"But before that, I need to take Byron home first, I've asked my friend to babysit him for a while, excuse me for a moment, Mel."

Chiko stated, ushering Byron to go home in the meantime, and play with his babysitter for the time being.

The two women were left with their own devices, and for the first time ever, there was an unknown awkwardness that loomed over them.

Melody was trying her hardest to keep herself acting as normally as she would on a daily basis, but by trying to do so, only made her act more unnatural.

It was deafly quiet, as the two slowly drank the tea that Melody prepared for them a few minutes earlier, and no one had spoken a word yet, until Ophelia broke the ice.

"I'm sure you've seen the daily newspaper, Mel." She started off, with a calm tone.

Melody froze.

"And…..I don't know what's happening to you and your family….You've stopped visiting for a while now, and every time that I'd try to visit you, you're not home…..and it's not that I'm suspicious of you, it's just that, as a friend…I'm worried about you."

"Lia….I…I'm not trying to avoid you guys, really! I was just teaching Brielle voice lessons, we aren't in the house during that time, because I thought being cooped up in the house was a boring way to teach, so we've been practicing outside."

Melody explained, expertly lying her way out of the truth. It wasn't out of practicality, but of obligation.

No one has to know about their training, and for that reason, she had already rehearsed this generic reply months ago, it was part of her plan.

"Oh, I see, that explains it, I thought you were kidnapped or something like that, I'd even asked the townspeople about your whereabouts, but they haven't seen you leave…well, enough about that…."

Melody could feel the foreboding confrontation, and she wasn't sure if she was ready.

"_How would she react? Should I lie to her? But she's Lia! I know I can trust her…but, after hearing Alex's story…I don't think I can…..gosh, I've become paranoid."_

"What my husband and I really came here for is, because of Alex…"

"_And there goes the bombshell."_

Melody anticipated the worst, but it never came.

"I know the newspapers portrayed him as a bad man, but we've known him personally, and I know for a fact that he isn't what the media paints him to be…and, we've never even heard his side of the story, we're just here to let you know that…."

"You can trust us…we don't believe anything that the papers say, there's probably a reason that they're trying to cover up." Chiko said, joining the conversation, Having recently returned from bringing their son back home.

"I-I—Chiko, Lia! You guys!" Melody's voice wavered, hearing them say that they believed in her husband's innocence stated a lot, and she couldn't help but feel touched at their faith in them.

She ran to Ophelia and gave her a tight hug that she returned with the same amount of force, earning a laugh from Melody, and later laughing with her.

Unknown to them, Alexander had been eavesdropping on their conversation, and upon hearing their declaration, and with open trust, he decided to let his presence be known to the two of them as well.

"Thank you for believing in me, Chi, Lia. It means a lot." Alexander spoke, emerging from his hiding spot.

The two were shocked to see him there with them, but was happy and relieved at the same time because he was safe and out of harm's way.

The adults have talked amongst themselves, and after a bit of explaining, the other couple understood the full gist of the story.

Turned out, the two, were actually the representative of the entire town. They themselves were equally worried and flabbergasted about the news, but they knew the man personally to an extent, that they knew he couldn't do such a horrible thing.

They had just been afraid to ask Melody about the matter, fearing that they might rub off the wrong way, and so, they've decided to ask the couple for help, knowing that they were the closest to the Merlin Family, they'll be able to get through them.

Both Alexander and Melody were at awe at the sheer amount of trust that the village had for them, and it truly melted their hearts that they chose to believe him.

But then, there was a serious matter at hand.

As a wanted man, Alexander knew that the marines would, sooner or later surge in numbers and ransack Toroa in search for him.

If marine intel had anything to do with it, he could say it could take a few days, or a week at most before they could start pinning his location.

He knew that they should be ready to flee at the drop of a hat during this week. He did not know how big of a force would come looking for him, but with a bounty as high as his, it could mean a lot of enforcement.

The good thing was, that Chiko told them that, they would help them go undercover for now. The whole village agreed that they do not know a person named Alexander and any of the Merlin Family, in order to protect them from the navy.

There were also people that volunteered to be on the look-out for any marine activity that comes near the island. That way, they could alert the family ahead of time and let them escape at ease, using a boat that one of the townspeople so generously gave.

How this people trusted the man so much, was because of his good nature alone. He had done many good deeds and helped them out during a time of need, especially fending off bloodthirsty pirates that wanted to invade their village.

Alexander was known as a fearsome martial arts fighter that protected the village from harm. Putting the island of Toroa under his protection kept invaders from even going near a two mile radius from them.

Helping him and his family escape from the marines was an act so little to even repay their debt to him.

To say they were more than happy to help was a great understatement.

The whole town began planning for their escape the moment they laid eyes on that dreaded bounty poster.

The couple was moved to tears hearing about what the town was doing for them, all this time they thought they were all alone, thinking that the whole island would turn him in because of a false accusation.

A wave of relief hit them like a tidal wave. They couldn't be more thankful. At least they could be able to sleep knowing that they were safe under the wing of their fellow townspeople.

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Words: 5,381

Date of publication: April 14, 2020


	13. Chapter 13 - Stagnant Waters

A/N- NANI? Two updates in one week? That's new, hahahaha. Soooo I forgot putting the translated words from the last chapter, sorry 'bout that. 'Bulaklak' means 'flower' and 'bayawak' means 'crocodile'. The funny thing is, we use the word bayawak to refer to corrupt politicians, and I thought hey, that's kinda what Croccy is hahaha. Anyways, I would be replying to reviews in the chapters from here on out, so:

Merendinoemiliano: Thank you for the review, as always, I have a lot of things planned for this fic, and I can't wait to share it as well, when we get there.

Milkari: Ahhh I'm glad you like it! And, thank you for reading, I'll continue on writing and I hope you continue reading this fic as well.

SimplySupreme: Yeah, I was kinda inspired by the Dressrosa Arc, where the whole nation literally covered for the Strawhats, so if that could happen, I thought I could use it in here too.

Reviews are highly appreciated! So please leave one if you'd like.

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"Speaking"

"_Thoughts"_

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.**

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Two kids were seen walking through the deeper parts of the forest on small cleared dirt path. Brielle, together with Robin, were heading towards her 'training grounds' turned playground.

They had been going there together ever since their first meeting, it was like their own special play area as they had been talking and playing there for quite some time now.

They walked hand in hand, swinging their arms slightly as they go. The younger of the two, had been pretty affectionate towards the older girl.

It was in her nature to blame for being openly affectionate. This includes giving and receiving hugs, holding hands, overall being a touchy-feely person. So much so that during her last life, she couldn't recall a day passing by without a proper hug.

Thankfully, Robin did not mind the other girl's open display of affection, like clinging onto her arm, and receiving her hugs. Sure she might not be as affectionate as her, but in return, she made sure to let her know she wasn't uncomfortable by the gestures, and that she rather liked it.

When they reached the clearing, Brielle put down her backpack while Robin made herself comfortable on the blanket she'd laid down on the grass.

The weather was nice, it wasn't too hot, and the sea breeze was cool on the skin. The clouds seemed to roll off the skies lazily by the wind.

It was such a peaceful day, perfect for relaxing under the gentle rays of the sun, while looking at the waves crashing against the shore below.

Brielle joined her on the blanket, and positioned herself with her head laying on her lap. She smiled contently and the two enjoyed their company in a comfortable silence.

A while later, Robin began combing the younger's wavy black hair with her fingers absentmindedly with her eyes closed, accompanied with a tune that her mother once sang to her when she was little.

Brielle a contented sigh escaped her lips, enjoying the feeling of her hair being combed. She looked up and saw her serene face, to which she couldn't help but let out a smile.

"_Ahh, if only things could be this simple and carefree forever." _The girl thought, beginning to feel drowsy.closing her eyes, she let her mind think things through.

"_But sadly, I know it won't and it never will." _She thought, she hated to be smart sometimes.

"_Canonically speaking, it would never happen. I know that, we might get separated soon. If my gut-feeling says so. I don't know when it would happen, but I'm sure of it. It could be a few hours from now, a few days, a week, so on and so forth. I might as well enjoy this time together with her for as long as I can."_

She kept her eyes closed, when an idea dawned upon her in a comical manner like there was a sudden light bulb magically appearing on top of her head out of nowhere.

"Ne, Robin-nee" Brielle rolled over with her eyes now fully open, she laid on her stomach across her, smiling widely and already feeling giddy of doing what she had in mind.

"Hmm?" Robin replied, placing her hand on her now empty lap, missing the warmth of the other girl's presence.

"Do you know how to make friendship-bracelets?" The girl asked, her excitement dripping at every word.

"Nope, what are they exactly, Brielle-san?" Robin asked, now curious as to what those bracelets are.

"Well you see…." Brielle continued, as she got on her knees and stood up, heading towards where she left her backpack and retrieving it back to where they sat.

"It's something special that a friend makes for their friends!" The girl said while fumbling over her belongings.

She opened the bag, and emptied its contents. There was a surprisingly large amount of things that one could fit in that tiny thing. The infinite number of pockets it had must have helped.

Robin tilted her head in confusion, she'd never heard of such a thing before, frankly speaking, because she only had her books and the late professors as her friends.

She paid close attention to what the other was going to do.

There was small plastic container filled with seashells that Brielle collected with Melody, a roll of string, a pair of scissors, and a variety of colored beads.

"It shows that wherever that person may be in this _biiiiiiiiiiig_ world, they will always be friends, and that will serve as a reminder of their friendship!"

The girl exclaimed, making a big gesture with her arms wide open to emphasize the sheer size of the world with it.

"Ohh! I get it now, that's interesting, so are we making them?" Robin caught on quickly, judging by the materials that the younger one pulled out from her backpack she made a guess.

"Yup!" Brielle replied, popping the 'p' sound loudly.

"But I don't know how to though, it might end up looking weird." Robin said honestly, arts and crafts was never her strong suit, she was more interested in reading about the history and stories behind it though.

"Don't worry, it's not that hard, plus, you've got me! I'll teach you!" Brielle beamed as her chest puffed up in pride, proud of her own artistic capabilities.

"Alright, Brielle-san." The other girl replied with a chuckle.

"So here's how you do it….."

Brielle started unwinding the string, measuring the length of Robin's wrist, and cutting it a little longer so that she would be able to make a knot and tie it securely later.

She then let Robin do the same, following and imitating what she did. Next, the two decided on picking their favorite shell from Brielle's small collection of sea shells.

"Are you sure you want me to use these, Brielle-san? I remember you telling me that these were the special ones that you and Mrs. Merlin picked." Robin asked, unsure of using something her friend deemed precious to her.

"Yeah, because you're special." Brielle said as a matter of fact, still heavily focused on choosing which one to use.

"Huh?" The older girl asked dumbfounded.

The child's honesty sure was on the next level, she wasn't afraid to express herself and allow other people to read her like an open book. She cannot say it was the same for herself.

"Silly Robin-nee, I want to give it to you because you're my friend, and you're special to me. What's the use of having pretty shells if I don't use it or give it to my friends?"

The little girl asked, now facing her with a look of confusion written all over her delicate features. Going with that logic, Robin can only feel flattered by the comment and elicit a smile.

"_Special, huh?"_

"I see, thank you, Brielle-san, you're special to me too." The older of the two replied, returning the same feeling towards the other girl.

They continued making the bracelets, placing the beads one by one was difficult, but they managed. They placed the colored beads alternatingly to firm a simple but charming.

After a few more minutes, they had finally finished, tying up the loose ends of the bracelets repeatedly about two or three times to secure the beads in place before the two looked at each other and smiled, extremely proud of their handiwork.

Brielle's bracelet had a striped conical seashell in the center, with two light blue beads placed on each side, continuing with an alternating mint and lilac beads.

Robin's bracelet had a similar design, but instead having a clam shell on the middle, with pastel pink beads placed on each side, with alternating yellow and peach beads that reached the knot.

"Wahhhh they look so pretty…..!" Brielle exclaimed cupping both of her cheeks in a cute manner.

"Fufufu they sure do." Robin added, marveling at their work.

"Hmmmm how about a promise to go with it?" The girl suggested, tapping her index finger on the side of her face in thought.

"That sounds good, let's do it"

Robin agreed, and with an impromptu oath taking, they proclaimed their promises to each other.

"I, Merlin D. Brielle, promise to always be Robin-nee's friend, even if we go separate our ways in the future, I will always cherish and remember our friendship!"

"I, Nico Robin, promise to forever be Brielle-san's friend, and no matter how old we are, and how many years pass by, I will always be there for you."

The two then placed their bracelet on each other's wrists, and shared a warm hug, happy and content at their newly promised vow.

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The days rolled by easily, unknown to the two children, there were many untold things happening behind the scenes.

Both Melody and Alexander rarely left the house, and as a result either Chiko or Ophelia dropped by to provide the couple goods and brief them of the current status of the stationed marines just a distance away from them.

Robin continued staying with the family, and considered it her happiest days of her life besides her reunion with her late mother Olvia.

Brielle's parents treated her much like their own kid, and Robin would be lying if she said she didn't feel loved. The whole family had been so generous and caring, Robin couldn't ever think of a way to repay them.

During her stay, Robin had also befriended Byron, a shy boy who came by occasionally. He introduced himself as Brielle's friend and the son of the friends of Mr. and Mrs. Merlin that always visited every other day to chat with them.

He was always attached to Brielle like glue, and she observed that the boy liked Brielle very much, but she didn't know if it was platonic or not. She wasn't there long enough to make a solid hunch.

She just thought that he might be one of those kids that are a bit clingy, it was excusable though, as he was a child, and children usually basked in other people's attention.

Despite his childish behavior, the boy was polite and friendly, and the two of them got along well. She also found out the boy liked reading about various kingdoms and how it came to be.

This piqued her interest, and that served as their mutual ground and had them share some stories from the books they've read.

The three of them started playing together, and it was the most fun she'd had. Who knew having friends was so much fun?

What Robin also observed was that, in a way, Brielle was very nurturing and caring of others. Not only towards Byron, but surprisingly with her as well, despite her being the youngest of the three.

Sure she had her childish bouts here and there, but there was something at the back of her head that believed she was much more mature and adult-like, she just didn't show it, and it was like she was putting up a front.

She didn't know why she thought about the other girl that way, but that was just the results of what she'd observed about her. It didn't bother her though. She was just a little curious how and why a child her age has that level of maturity.

The days turned to into a week, and the week turned into two weeks, and before she knew it, she had completely blended in with them.

Still, she hasn't used her devil fruit powers at all, mainly because she thought that it was better to leave it way, she already had Brielle, so she didn't mind if she was the only one that knew about it.

But when it was only the two of them in the clearing, she would let her powers flourish, Brielle insisted that she should train with her, earning a confused look from hearing it the first time she'd asked.

She hadn't expected her to give her a full length detail on why she should, and how important it was to train in essay form, and it amused her to no end.

She agreed training with her to strengthen her physical strength, mostly because Brielle had convinced her that she might need it someday.

Before she could decline, Brielle just had this look of pure determination or plain stubbornness that made it impossible for her to say no.

And so she agreed, it was hard as anticipated, but Brielle's presence made it bearable. There wasn't a boring moment with her around.

To her surprise though, the little girl was actually quite athletic and had a high-level endurance. It made her wonder how long she had been training to gain that level of muscle strength.

It was something that poked her curiosity regarding the other girl yet again. She was such an open person, but at the same time, she was an enigma. She was interesting person to Robin that all she wanted was to get to know her better.

Secretly though, Brielle actually wanted her to train, not only because she wanted her to become stronger, but also to give her a head start in preparing her for the future, and giving her a head start wasn't a bad idea.

There was this lingering feeling that wouldn't settle in her stomach by wasting another day of doing nothing.

It made her feel guilty of the time she was spending with Robin, which wasn't wrong by all means, she enjoyed chatting with her, but she felt they needed to do something more than just lazily talking the day away.

She didn't want to become rusty, she must not become accustomed to this laidback kind of lifestyle. After the hell of a training she'd received from her mother, she was sure after things settled down, they'll go back to training.

And there was a 99% chance it would be a lot harder, and tougher than ever before, considering her long 'training leave'.

She felt that there was something going on behind her back. Her mother had become preoccupied with things she normally doesn't do, like often stocking groceries more than the amount she usually kept.

Her father also felt extremely, vigilant?

Was that the word for it?

Brielle thought, he just seemed paranoid at times. One night he was calling him for dinner, but his eyes were fixated on whatever was outside their window. It took her a full minute to get his attention.

She always asked him if there was something wrong, but he'd always reply saying it was nothing to worry about, and that he was just thinking about something.

Her aunt and uncle's visits were also increasingly frequent. It wasn't like she was unhappy that they were visiting, it was because she found it rather odd.

They would often come by at around nine a.m. and the four of them started their 'adult talk' that ended in playing with both Robin and Byron upstairs in her bedroom, far away from their discussion, or it would be just her and Robin her playing in their usual play area, a.k.a. their training grounds.

Her singing lessons had been pushed aside for a suspiciously long time, but she was hesitant to ask Melody, as she was always doing something, and she didn't want to bother her.

It was only when she stumbled upon one something unsuspectingly, when things started to fall into place. Her parent's peculiar behavior, the frequent visits, everything.

It all suddenly made sense.

One uneventful afternoon, her father asked her to kindly fetch one of his files on his desk. She complied, with a quick nod, and went to his room to retrieve what was asked of her.

She took the files, and when she was about to go back downstairs, something caught her eye. It was a crumpled paper that was stuffed somewhat hurriedly inside one of his drawers, slightly ajar.

The way she saw it in there, just waiting to be investigated, she couldn't help herself.

She knew it was wrong to snoop on other people's belongings, and she certainly didn't want others to do that to her stuff, but her curiosity took over and caused her to take a peek.

She wished she didn't.

Immediate regret came soon after, what she saw, the crumpled _thing_ was actually a newspaper clipping. In it, showed Robin and his father's wanted poster.

The papers in her hands dropped on the floor, and the girl collapsed on her knees.

She had understood Robin's bounty, but she didn't expect in her lifetime that her father also had such a high bounty. It was a hard pill to swallow, and she tried pinching herself to try and wake up if this was just some nasty dream, but it didn't work.

She was definitely awake, and the one hundred million belly bounty was still there on the paper. 'WANTED: Merlin Alexander- Ex-marine Captain / DEAD OR ALIVE' in bold black letters, taunting her.

"_H-How?" _Brielle whispered-shouted to herself.

The girl was so shocked that her mind went into a million places at once.

Is this the reason why he arrived a week earlier?

Is this the reason why he was so on edge lately?

Why did they hide it from her?

Didn't she also deserved to know?

She felt like a complete and utter fool.

All this time she was on cloud nine with her blossoming friendship with Robin, and she was feeling so happy too.

At surface-level everything was alright, but that was just the very tip of the iceberg.

The twenty-two year old in her understood, that they didn't need to worry their child about such pressing matters, but the child inside her wanted to throw a nasty fit.

When she didn't reply to his father's calls, he decided to go upstairs himself and check on her.

"Brie? Are you okay? Did you see Daddy's files?"

Brielle finally snapped out of her thoughts and immediately shoved the crumpled paper back inside the drawer. She hastily picked up her dad's fallen documents and immediately rubbed the tears that started to form on her eyes.

"Y-Yes, daddy. I'll bring them there." She tried her best to control the flurry of emotions that might seep through her voice.

She'd kept a poker face and met her father by the stairs, about to go get the files himself. She handed him the papers, and walked downstairs in a hurry.

Robin was currently reading one of Alexander's books, when she noticed Brielle running downstairs with a frown, which was sacrilegious. The girl was always smiling, and seeing that removed from her features only meant that something was wrong, seriously wrong.

All of a sudden, Brielle hurried off, running as fast as she could, in a few seconds, she was already far away from the house.

Robin was worried, she had never seen the other girl like that.

She asked Melody if she knew where she went, and she replied that she said she wanted to go back to the clearing, saying that she had forgotten important.

Melody thought it was something really important because she practically sprinted out of the door. Robin, gave a quick thanks and asked permission if she could go there too, and of course the answer was yes.

She found her way back there, swiping away stray branches that obscured her path. Just a few feet away from reaching the clearing, she could already see her friend sitting near the edge of the cliff with her figure facing the ocean.

Cautiously, she took a few steps closer. She could see her shoulders shaking and heard the girl crying. This broke her heart, as the precious sunshine had suddenly became a gloomy rain cloud.

She quickened her pace, and called out to her gently.

"Brielle-san….are you, okay?"

She could hear her crying temporarily stopped, and the other girl slowly turned her head to look at her. She wiped her tears and wore a heart-breaking fake smile that never belonged to her face.

"A-Ah, Robin-nee, I-I'm okay, I was just-"

Before she could make any more excuses, she knelt down, and gave her a hug. The action surprised Brielle, but her words only made her cry even more.

"You can tell me everything, or nothing at all if you prefer. I just want you to know that I'm always here for you. I promised, didn't I?"

"R-Robin-nee…" Brielle cried, her eyes puffy, and her nose runny, she hugged back.

When she calmed down, and debated whether or not she should tell her about what she saw. She was contemplating hard in silence, with Robin next to her as company.

It was a hard topic to discuss, and she didn't even know the reason of his father's bounty, but she knew there was something amiss and that Robin deserved to know.

And so, she told her. Explaining how a kid like her could know what a bounty meant can wait, she could lie about it later, this was much more important at the moment.

She told her in detail, that the marines framed her for a crime she didn't do, and that there was a 79 million belli bounty on her head, and that was certainly a bad thing.

Robin froze, it took her a solid ten minutes before the information sunk in, and when it did, she wanted to get angry, angry at the government for making up such a lie, but she knew she had no power to do so.

She had already anticipated being wanted, as Professor Clover had already warned her before.

About Brielle's parents hiding this from her, she did not resent them, she understood that it was better for her not to know, because she knew her parents only wanted to protect her. Her mother would probably do something like that in order to keep her safe.

What she didn't understand was why Mr. Merlin also had a bounty. He did not look like, nor acted like a man deserving of such a high number.

This was also the first time that she knew of his occupation. It offed her a bit, having a quick reminder that they were the same kind of people that killed of an entire island.

But she also remembered Saul, who gave up his life for her, so doesn't that mean, not all marines are war-ridden killers?

She decided to leave it in her own judgment, she knew the man personally, and she knew that he was a good person at heart, if her time she spent with him meant anything.

There was a sick feeling that told her he was in the same boat as her, like there was some parallel between the two of them.

It touched her that Brielle was crying for her safety, but she wanted to reassure her that, her parents surely had an explanation.

Brielle was silent, she took her time clearing her head. Robin stayed with her, not saying anything and just sat there with her, assuring her that she had someone to lean on, like she once did for her.

"_She's taking the news better than I had originally expected….." _Brielle thought.

To be honest, she didn't know how she would react to hearing that kind of information about her.

Turns out, it was just her, acting like a spoiled brat. Getting all worked up and angry at her parents from hiding it from her, when she didn't even have any business meddling with that kind of adult matters.

She was just so shocked, and she couldn't wrap her head around the fact that his father was now a wanted criminal.

Whatever he did, she knew he did nothing wrong. He knew his father. He was not that kind of man.

She grit her teeth, thinking about how the Navy pulled their corrupted strings yet again, much more than Doflamingo did on a daily basis.

When she deemed herself ready to go back and act like nothing happened, things went from bad to worse, real fast.

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Marine ships began appearing out of the blue.

They took advantage of the thick and opaque Toroan fog encircling the land mass just a few meters away from the shore, as a means to hide themselves under the radar of the unsuspecting residents of the island Toroa.

The fog was the result of the bombing of one of their neighboring islands that altered the atmospheric state of the island, but even without it, it was still a normal occurrence. It wasn't anything unusual that might attract suspicion from its people.

For two weeks they had been waiting there, patiently. Ready to strike, and unleash a large military force at their superiors' command.

Unit six had been dispatched to take care of a particular ex-captain.

A week prior, they had heard no news of the man, except for his sudden appearance at the release of the daily newspaper.

It was a picture of the man, wearing a cloak just barely covering his eyes, looking away from the camera, beneath it, was a whopping one hundred million belli bounty reward for his head.

They hadn't felt the same ever since his suspension, and they would have been left guilty, until they heard of what had happened, and all remaining respect for the man had been obliterated.

They bathed in channeling all of their guilt and negative feelings toward hating the man instead. Being assigned to arrest the man only fueled their misplaced anger.

The unit had undergone an immense change under the last two weeks, shortly after the suspension of ex-captain Alexander, a new person had stepped up, and took the role as their new and improved leader.

Their newly appointed captain was a cunning man, like a cat purposefully letting their prey go, giving them a glimmer of hope to escape, only to pounce on them later for the kill.

They never saw the man in that light, and he had only gained much admiration from the bunch after he displayed his physical and intellectual prowess that he'd never shown before.

He was responsible for guiding the unit, and it was only fitting that he himself devised a plan so fool proof that he could proudly state that their mission would only result in a complete success.

He was haughty like that.

But he chose not to, because had an image maintain, he had to have some level of restraint.

The truth is, the moment he was ordered to pursue the ex-marine captain a whole two weeks ago, he refused to take action just yet.

Even if he already had the exact coordinates and location of said man, he didn't make a move.

It went along the lines of 'giving him a false sense of security before attacking him at his weakest and when he least expected it'.

The plan was to leave the man to his own devices at his hometown for now. He had information about his family. The man could easily seize them if he had to, and by all means necessary to drag his ass with him, struggling or lifeless.

Attaining such crucial information was certainly a breeze, considering he had done his homework and he had his connections here and there.

He left the few stationed marines on eastern side of the island on hold. They were not to draw any attention to themselves and make it seem they were unaware of the wanted man hiding in their premises.

He knew that he was a capable man, strong no doubt, and the subtle undetected arrival of reinforcements was a must.

Therefore explaining the fourteen day wait just for that very purpose. But now things were about to go down in full swing.

Unit six had finally received the green light to operate a mass-scale siege on the island. The first batch of marines that already set foot on the island were to alert the citizens go to the evacuation area located on the east coast.

They didn't need to draw confusion and stupidly allow the fugitive hide under the panic of unknowing townspeople. They needed to be careful in delivering the message.

The entire island was also completely surrounded. There was no way a man can slip away from an all-out attack on all sides.

He knew he was a smart man, and if he had any common sense, he would surrender immediately.

Or would he rather face the consequences?

The thought elicited a sadistic smirk from the marine captain that sat on his office chair.

He stared at the news article sprawled on his desk regarding Alexander's breach of conduct, his unhinged behavior, alleged harassment of his crew, and involvement in the burning of an innocent passenger ship that once carried the supposed evacuates of Ohara.

The smirk plastered on his face widened as he reread the headline so many times.

"_Oh, what a pity, that man. Don't worry, it'll all be over soon."_

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A/N – I feel like this fic has become much more dramatic than I've planned it to be lol, rereading the first chapters made me feel like, darn, it was so light hearted back then! But anyways, I liked writing the angsty-feely parts unexpectedly. I don't wanna spoil you guys too much, but I have to say I have a lot of things planned out for this fic, and I have about literally ten pages filled with plot points, and I wanna get to the good stuff soooo bad, but I want to make it progressively, bit by bit as to not make it feel rushed or awkward if I suddenly shoved the plot out of the blue.

I want to thank you guys for being patient with the story up until now, because when I was reading other fanfics, I realized that by about 50k words into their story, they were already at the major stages and looking at mine, I feel like I'm going waaaay behind. So again, please leave a review if you feel like it's going too slow, and I'll quicken up the pace. That is all, and thank you again for the reads, follows, and the reviews. Those really spike up my motivation to write, and have a good one! - Diwata

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Word Count: 4,829

Date of Publication: April 16, 2020


	14. Chapter 14 - Calm Before the Storm

A/N- Three chapters in a week?! I'm on a roll people! It's my new personal record hahahaha. I gotta say this chapter took the longest for me to write like man, my back hurtssss but anyways, I really wanted to finish this chapter because I am so freaking hyped to write the next! I can guarantee action and….well, you'll soon find out. I won't keep you here for long, so, here's the chapter, and happy reading!

Merendinoemiliano: I'm glad you think so, I want her to be treated well because, well, hhhhhhhh I don't wanna spoil it just yet, it will be explained in the next chapter.

Setokayba2n: Ahh, is that so? I'm relieved hahahaha, thank you for the reassurance. Also, do you mind if I ask you what that fic was? I'm kinda curious about it now that you've mentioned it…

Reviews are highly appreciated! So please leave one if you'd like.

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"Speaking"

"_Thoughts"_

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.**

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Brielle's eyes widened, her irises shrunk at the sheer amount of fear she felt the second her mind registered what she saw.

Ginormous marine battleships were seen faintly in the distance, slowly parting through the fog as it made its advance towards the island.

Its proud seagull and open wrench insignia shown proudly embedded on the sails, flapping rapidly as it became clearer and clearer for the girl to see despite the darkening skies.

The amphibious vehicle, the height of a five-story building, began closing in as the distance between them decreased.

"_I-IT'S….IT'S THE MARINES!"_ The girl thought alarmingly, her heart beating at an irregularly fast pace. She couldn't mask the expression on her face even if she tried.

She was sure her body trembled, as Robin, who had currently had her back at the sight, noticed her shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"Brielle-san? What's wrong?!" Robin asked, with down turned lips. She was worried at what had caused the other girl to be reduced into a trembling mess.

Brielle could only lift a shaky finger as she pointed at the navy vessels fast approaching, with its intimidating show of cannons parallel to each side of the ship.

Robin turned her head to look at the direction of her finger, and her heart dropped. She began to mirror the same reaction the younger one had, only worse.

Panic flared up inside of her, the burning images and the memory of her hometown's demise came surging back ten-fold, and she was absolutely petrified. Her body refused to

The glaring orange sky.

The flames engulfing the island.

The overwhelming heat.

The smell of burning flesh.

The screams of pure _agony_.

Flashbacks of a mind-scarring tragedy started to replay in her head like a broken record.

She started to feel lightheaded. Her eyes decided to play tricks on her as her vision blurred, her breathing became uneven, and there was an unidentified ringing that pierced her ears.

It felt like the world was trying to swallow her whole. She clutched her head as the throbbing pain of an unusual sickness attacked her. She began to sweat, and she didn't know what was happening.

It was like reality and her trauma was overlapping one another fighting for dominance, and she couldn't distinguish which one was real, or just a figment of her imagination.

This made Brielle's earlier fear turn into worry.

"Robin-nee! Are you okay?!" The girl exclaimed as she barely managed to catch her collapsing on her feet. She coiled herself into a fetal position, groaning in pain.

Why does her chest hurt so much?

"_What is going on?! Wait…she must be having a panic attack! Seeing that warship must have triggered some bad memories…."_

Brielle realized as she thought of a way to calm her down, she didn't look like she was breathing properly, and she might even start hyperventilating if she didn't do anything!

"…Robin-nee…..!"

There was no response. Whatever was going through her mind right now prevented her from hearing her cries.

"Robin-nee please calm down….…it's alright…..I'm here…."

Brielle pleaded, as her eyes began to water. She couldn't break her out of her thoughts, and she didn't know how to appease the pain she was currently feeling, but she can't just leave her in that state.

Then, it came to her.

Slowly, she started to sing, an all too familiar tune in an adagio. It was a lullaby that her mother sang to her often when she was still in her mother's womb. It was light as a feather, and warm like the sun.

It had always calmed her down during her early days as an infant when she felt discomfort or anxious. She had learned it from Melody, during one of their training sessions, and the tune stuck to her ever since.

Now she could only hope that it did the same thing to Robin.

Robin, in between her jagged breaths, heard someone faintly calling for her, in soft tune. The voice was from someone she could recognize and it was pleasurably soothing to the ears.

The song seemed to break the imaginary chains that bound her in her thoughts, and like a cozy blanket enveloped her in an embrace she couldn't explain.

A strange feeling of tranquility and relief was felt after the painful memories, and by the time the song ended, her nerves finally calmed down and she slowly had her grasp back on reality.

She cracked her eyes open, to look at her surroundings as the multiple things that she saw merged into one picture.

"Huh?...Wha?" Robin muttered, still in a state of confusion, as could feel herself breathing faster than normal. She saw Brielle looking at her with worry and had her arms around her in a firm hold.

"_It…..It worked!" _Brielle thought in relief, as she managed to snap her out of it.

"What….happened?"

"Robin-nee! You're back!"

"B-Brielle….-san?" Robin asked for confirmation as she her breathing had yet to stabilize.

"That's right, I'm here…..breathe in…breathe out…." The younger girl began to take slow and steady breaths, as she tried to regulate Robin's breathing.

"Calm down, don't be scared, everything's going to be okay…..just follow my lead…..breathe in…..breathe out…."

Robin focused on Brielle's breathing, and she could feel herself breathing normally again. Brielle allowed her to sit straight and regain her composure, rubbing small circles on her back in a comforting manner.

"_We really need to go back, I have a bad feeling about this."_ The girl thought, not liking the growing butterflies in her stomach.

"Are you feeling okay now? Can you stand?" Brielle asked, assisting the other to get her back on her feet, offering her hand as a support.

"I-I think I can, thank you, Brielle-san." Robin took her hand, and pulled herself upright, dusting off the dirt that stuck on her borrowed dress.

"No problem, ne, Robin-nee, can you do me a favor?"

"Huh? Yeah….…."

"Hold my hand, and don't look back, okay?" The younger of the two asked with a heavy tone, and wore an even serious expression.

"O-okay….." Robin replied, placing their hands in an intertwined lock.

Brielle led the way back home, with a much faster pace than before, tugging the other girl to quicken their pace, almost sprinting.

Robin refused to look back, trusting the other girl's words, and was now panting from how fast they were running, still not used to being _that_ physically active.

The sky seemed to shadow over them, as dark greys and saturated oranges replaced the blue tones that once spread throughout the span of the horizon.

Their light footsteps made little to no sound as they were maneuvering their way back home. Everything except the front path looked blurred from the speed they were going.

The air was rushing to their faces like a gust of wind from a propeller, when all of a sudden-

*RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING* *RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING* *RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING*

An ear-splitting noise startled the children, which made them search for the source of the sound but to no avail. It pierced through the air, as its loud rings resonated throughout the entire island.

"_This is bad, really bad. We really need to go home NOW."_

Brielle thought, and with a newly found energy, pushed her legs to exert the most she could get, anything to get them back into the safety of her home.

She was more worried about Robin than herself, the girl had been through a lot, and seeing the things that triggered those bad memories to resurface, she wasn't exactly feeling all that great.

When they were nearing the edge of the path, under the thick foliage of the trees, Brielle abruptly stopped in her tracks, causing Robin to bump into her because of her momentum.

There were marine soldiers littered around town, everywhere her eyes went, there were men clad in blue and white navy uniforms, with rifles on their hands, and swords strapped on their waists.

"Oww…..Brielle-san?" Rubbing her forehead from the collision between her and the younger girl's back, Robin looked at Brielle who looked at something, rather, someone intently.

Brielle placed her index finger on top of her lips, signaling her to be quiet. The younger one looked calm and composed on the outside, but on the inside she was panicking.

"_If they recognize Robin, they'll take her away! Who knows what they'll do to her! I can't forgive myself if I let that happen!"_

The girl thought long and hard at her next course of action, she needed to conceal her face, and make her unrecognizable enough that they'll be able to slip through without gaining much attention from the navy.

Thinking of a way to make a mask of some sort, she had an idea. She patted her pockets, and as she expected, she felt a lump, indicating that there was something in it.

She thanked God, she always brought a handkerchief with her at all times, and luckily, it was one of those larger ones that can be used as a makeshift shawl.

She fished out the piece of cloth from her pocket, and unfurled it, handing it over to the other girl.

"Robin-nee, I want you to wear this over your head, okay? We don't want them to see your face. Can you do that for me?"

"Mhm"

Robin did as told, as she placed the fabric over her head and shoulders, making sure to cover her face as much as she could.

After a few adjustments, and securing it with a small tie, Brielle deemed the disguise, pretty decent, for the most part.

It hid her recognizable features well, and the both of them could only hope none of the patrolling marines would question the garment.

"Robin-nee, just keep your head down and don't look at any of them, okay? Keep on holding my hand, and everything will be alright, I promise."

Brielle reassured the other girl, with a new found determination burned like a wildfire inside of her. She focused on passing through a literal battlefield littered with landmines, which didn't cease to drown out her rapidly beating heart.

Receiving a quick nod from Robin, the two walked normally as to avoid looking like a sore thumb. She could feel the other girl's nervousness through their joined hands.

Her palms were sweaty, and she had an iron grip, as if it was her very lifeline that kept her alive.

Some marines took notice of the two of them and walked closer. One marine officer knelt down to reach their eyes and started to talk to them.

"What are you kids still doing here? You should be near the eastern port to evacuate by now." The man asked, lifting an eyebrow at how the other girl was dressed, but before he could get a better look, Brielle spoke up, effectively shifting his attention to her.

"I'm sorry mister, but we were playing, and we heard a loud noise…we didn't know….….we're sorry….!" Brielle said, pulling off her best 'hurt puppy look' that consists of glassy eyes ready to spill crocodile tears at any given moment, a quivering pouty lip and a cutesy-scared tone.

All of it combined resulted in the crowd 'aww-ing' at her, with pink hearts replacing their eyes and cooing their faces off at her adorable expression.

Some even scolded the man that confronted them, saying he was too rough on such angels.

Ah, what irony.

"Awwww, don't worry about it, I'll escort you girls there, just to be safe." Another man stepped forward, offering to bring them to the evacuation area.

"Oh, but we don't want to bother you sirs, we already know how to get there, thank you for the offer though." Brielle replied, still in 'innocent child mode' while Robin clutched her hand tighter, feeling uncomfortable under the indirect gazes of the marines.

"Is that so? Okay then, take care little ones!"

"Remember, the evacuation area is on the east port!"

"Don't get lost!"

"Call for us if you need help!"

They all replied in unison simultaneously, waving their hands at them, even if they already had their back turned and were starting to walk away.

Brielle took one last look at them, waving her hand in return with a bright smile, causing the other marines to faint at her 'cuteness'.

When she felt that the two of them had walked a good distance away from the marines, she turned to check on Robin, who hasn't uttered a word since she'd put on her handkerchief.

"Robin-nee? Are you okay? They're gone for now, I think." The younger girl asked, worried.

"Y-Yes, thank you for asking Brielle-san" Robin said with a hushed voice, probably still shaken from being around a number of marines.

"We can't let our guard down yet, there are still many marines stationed here, but first, we need to find mommy and daddy."

"Mhm"

The two made it seem like they were headed east, but they were actually taking a different route that led back to the west coast, where their house was located.

They ran once again, fearing for what would happen next, but they could worry about that later. They were still kids and they aren't exactly efficient in defending themselves just yet.

If they were ambushed, then they were officially screwed.

Brielle could only pray in her head, that her parent were alright. There was no one else she could ask for help but Him. She hoped everything would be alright, just like what she constantly told the older girl. She shook her head to avoid thinking negatively, she needed to toughen up.

She had to become strong enough for the both of them.

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As the whole island of Toroa had planned a whole two weeks prior, they were busy making sure everything went smoothly.

The plan, dubbed 'Aqua-marine' was made by the once law abiding citizens to monitor the marines located on the eastern side of the island and keenly observe their activity.

The Toroan farmers and fishermen that resided near the eastern port volunteered to keep watch if anything unusual happens between the marines.

Meanwhile the marketplace vendors offered to help with gathering supplies such as their basic necessities and groceries.

On the other hand, the village tailors sewed them cloaks and the island's best seafarers charted the safest route to the next island, pinpointing the best location to dock undetected.

All of the townspeople each made their own effort in helping the family, may it be giving them a log-pose, a few maps of the islands close to them, a boat for transportation, and even a decent amount of money to help with their escape.

They were desperate to aid in the escape of their noble ex-marine hero, Alexander, insisting they'd do anything to help, assist, and support him in any way they could, not believing a single one of the blatant lies spread about the wrongly-accused man.

They had been going above and beyond for the family, just like he had been towards them. For them, it was the least they could do for the debt they owed him.

Day by day, during the last two weeks they were working their muscles and joints in secrecy, praying to whoever they could call out from the heavens for help for the success of Aqua-marine, and for a while, things had been flowing pretty smoothly.

The marines hadn't made a move to suspect the village conspiring against them, which unnerved others, as the lack of marine activity made them a little suspicious. They had their regular rounds here and there, but they mostly stayed confined within the boundaries of their space near the eastern port.

They didn't show signs of initiating an investigation, a search, or an interrogation of the townspeople regarding the wanted man…no move, no nothing.

It was like they didn't give two shits about them, which was considerably a good thing because this meant executing their plan much easier without a hassle. They didn't want their wandering eyes burning a hole through their backs anyways.

Everything was going all according to plan, until the unexpected drawback of about eight marine battleships arrived on each port of the island completely surrounding them with no means of escape.

They assumed the best case scenario, but they completely disregarded the worst.

When the Toroans agreed on using the emergency alarm located in the village square, as a warning signal to indicate if the navy would unexpectedly pull something out of their sleeves, but they did not expect to hear it so soon.

Once it was triggered, everything went into chaos.

The people began panicking, not knowing how and why there were suddenly massive navy battleships appearing out of nowhere.

Soon enough, those in charge of being look-out overheard some of the orders commanded to the marines via den-den mushi.

"Scour the entire village, make sure all of the townspeople are led into the evacuation area located on the east port, I don't want any casualties, and do not let, I repeat, DO NOT LET _THAT MAN_ ESCAPE AT ALL COSTS, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

"SIR YES SIR!"

That was the turning point, and after a quick word of mouth, the entire island knew of their intentions. Things were starting to go south.

The first problem was that, the escape vessel that contained most of the family's necessities are docked at the eastern port, exactly where the major players of the navy are positioned, as they are responsible for the evacuates' safety.

Even with that in mind, there was a second problem.

The family had yet to board that ship, and if by chance they were planning to go there undetected under the guise of being an ordinary citizen, it could probably work for his wife and daughter, but for Alexander?

It was a big no-no.

There is certainly a high level of security laid out there, judging from the fact that they had deployed eight marine battleships just to get one man, ONE MAN.

They sure were out to get him.

With those problems at hand, Ophelia ran with all her might, zig-zagging her way through the village and made a mad dash through the townspeople looking like they were about to lose their shit.

Taking advantage of the disoriented crowd, she didn't seem to attract attention of the marines who were preoccupied with whatever they were trying to explain to the public.

Whatever excuse they were feeding them to make the arrival of their mass weapon of destruction on their peaceful island, they weren't having any of it.

Not when they were lying through their teeth.

They all had to put up an act, which was easy to fake since they were really not expecting them to bring out the big guns just to try and catch the ex-marine captain. So it would be, more or less, a believable performance.

Her dress fluttered up and down with her movement, the heavy thumps that landed on the soil were heard in a continuous rhythm while nearing the residence of the Merlin Family.

When she was finally at their doorstep, she was panting heavily from the quick workout, with a steady stream of sweat rolling on the side of her face, continuing down her neck.

"Mel! *huff* Have you heard of *huff* the-" Ophelia said in between deep breathes trying to recover her energy, only to be cut off by Melody, who was wearing a cloak, and carrying a backpack with her.

"Lia! What are you doing here? We already heard the alarm. If they see you with us, you're going to be charged with complicity!"

"I know! It's just! The evacuation is on the eastern port! How are you…..how are you guys going to escape?" Ophelia said, as her voice lowered while stating the last part.

"I don't know how, but we will find a way." The blond haired woman replied, looking a bit uneasy with sudden change of pace in their plan.

"Then, why don't you come along with us? It's better to hide in numbers, we'll conceal you and maybe create a diversion, I'll go ahead and tell them-"

"We can't. Not yet."

Was Melody's short response, once again cutting the other woman off, and earning a more than confused expression from the usually reserved missus.

"But _Mel_! If you don't go now, the odds of you guys sneaking in there is slimming by the second!" Ophelia whisper-shouted with a frown, she was now becoming frustrated.

They had already planned so much! Why aren't they cooperating now, of all times?

"I know, Lia, but Brielle and Robin hasn't returned yet." Melody replied in a calm voice.

True to her word, the little girls that was usually there were nowhere to be found.

How could she forget about her own niece? She began to worry, fearing for their safety, knowing that Robin was also a wanted criminal, though the true reason for that was unknown.

You can't expect her to believe that a cheery eight-year-old kid was a threat to the world, and was trying to destroy it.

How could the World Government create such a farfetched lie?

And why special type of idiot believes in that kind of bullshit?

The two had become silent, before the cloaked woman began breaking down, as the seemingly calm façade disappeared in an instant.

"….Ughh! Why did I let her go to that place?! I should've stopped her! It was already getting late, and then this all happened so suddenly I-I-"

On the inside, she was a nervous wreck. She has never done something like this before, but for the safety of her family, she will go through any lengths to guarantee their safety.

"Honey, calm down. She's going to be alright. I know Brie, she's a smart girl you know, just like her mother. She'll be here any moment now, together with Robin."

Alexander said, reassuring his wife. He had yet to make an appearance up until now. He was wearing a matching cloak just like what Melody was wearing, together with a backpack on his back as well.

His words made her somewhat at ease, she moved closer towards him for comfort. She could hear her heart pounding against her chest, but she had to remain composed if she wanted to pull off the plan.

"I apologize for the sudden outburst, I was just agitated….but, what are you going to do now? If you wait any longer, the marines will eventually reach you here. They got you completely surrounded, from all sides. I heard that all the ports are occupied by them."

Ophelia said, with worry never leaving her tone. She felt there was just this huge time-bomb looming over the top of their heads, slowly ticking as more time passed by.

"I'll head off first, I'll secure the boat and steer it towards the North. I got a message from town that there were less marines there compared to the other ports. Meet me there with the kids."

"I'll come with you." Melody said, stepping forward.

"What? You can't! It's too dangerous! What about Brie? And Robin? We can't leave them here!" Alexander turned to look at his wife in disbelief with what he was hearing.

"But I can't let you go on your own! There are hundreds, no, thousands of them out there! No matter how strong you are, you could be outnumbered!" His wife reasoned, as she held one of his arms to get through to him.

"I'll carry the message. I'll wait for them here, and I'll get them to the northern port." Ophelia volunteered with clear resolution.

"What? Lia, no! You can't-" Melody stammered, taken aback by what she was offering to do.

"Don't worry about me, Mel. She's my niece, if I can't even protect her and her friend, then I can't call myself her aunt." The other replied, her decision unwavering.

"Thank you, Lia, really…..…for everything." Melody said as her eyes glistened.

"No need to thank me Mel, that's what sisters are for….right?" Ophelia said, with a charming smile gracing her lips.

The two shared a hug, one that lasted for a few seconds as they made it count, because who knows when they'll meet again.

Even if they managed to escape, they would have to cut all ties with them, as to not endanger their lives, so this may be the very last they'll be able to see each other again.

It was a bittersweet goodbye, but it was for the best.

"We can't thank you enough Lia." Alexander also thanked the woman, eternally grateful for the favor they didn't ask of her.

"Now go, I pray you will all escape here safely. Goodspeed." Ophelia ushered them to go on ahead. She didn't know how they were going to make it happen, but she knows they will.

As they turn their backs and started running east, a single tear escaped her eyes, but her smile remained.

She sat on a bench next to the emptied house once full of life with the Merlins. She thought about their arrival, their friendship, and the sibling bond that formed between the four of them.

She had already thought about never seeing them again, but that didn't mean it was goodbye. The memories they've shared would forever remain in her heart.

The sun was slowly setting, just barely peeking its curve on the sea, and Ophelia was starting to get even more worried for the children.

They didn't have a clue about what was going on between their parents. They were fighting back against the biggest corporate entity in the world after all, appropriately named the World Government.

And then, from a distance, she could make out the two small figures approaching where she stood. She squinted her eyes, and relief was immediately felt once she recognized who they were.

It was Brielle, along with Robin who seemed to be wearing some sort of cloth over her head casting a shadow on her eyes, reaching her shoulders.

"_Oh? A disguise? What smart girls." _Ophelia thought, further solidifying Alexander's comment earlier.

"Children! Over here!" She shouted whilst waving her hands to get their attention.

As Brielle saw her aunt, her face immediately lit up at the sight of her. She hurried off while still holding the Robin's hand, who was disturbingly quiet, and it worried her to no end.

She didn't know what she was thinking, and at these situations, it was better to not let her think of the bad things. It can't be helped considering all the reminders, but she needed to get her head out of a dark place.

When they finally reached the house, they were met by Ophelia who had been anxiously waiting for their return for quite some time now.

"Aunt Lia? Where's mommy and daddy? There was this loud alarm and there were-"

"They went to the eastern port to take care of things before heading north…but more importantly, you need to be with them as well. I'm in no place to tell you kids this, but you are no longer safe here, and you need to go someplace else. I'll take you there, okay? So don't worry about it too much. Everything will be alright. Trust in me, okay?"

Brielle could only nod in response, already knowing the big secret, it was no longer a surprise for her. All she could do was pray that things do turn out the way she'd said it.

She turned to look at Robin, who was still in a daze.

"Robin-nee?"

"Huh? Yes, Brielle-san?"

"Mommy and Daddy said we need to go north."

"Oh, okay."

Ophelia looked at them, feeling sad that they had to face something terrifying for someone their age. But life was often like an unpredictable ocean in the New World and they could only ride with the tides.

"We need to go, now." The eldest of the three said, wanting to lead them there as quickly as she could.

"Wait! I still need to get something!" Brielle thought, remembering the things she left inside the house.

"Alright, but please hurry."

"Don't worry Aunt Lia I'll be quick, is that okay Robin-nee?"

The little girl said, momentarily letting go of her hand, which immediately snapped her out of it, Robin once again feeling the anxiety creep up inside her.

"S-Sure."

Brielle rapidly ran up the flight of stairs, rummaging through the things in her room. She was looking for her precious journal.

All of her assets were written there and she cannot afford to leave it there, waiting for someone sinister to take advantage of its knowledge.

She found it hidden in her drawer, and with one swift movement, she grabbed a couple of pens, and stuffed it inside her favorite backpack together with her journal, capo, and important papers.

She slung it on her back, before taking one last item with her, her ukulele that her uncle gave her. She placed it in her case, and placed it on her back. It was something she held dearly and she will bring it with her at all costs.

Taking one last look at their house, she had many good memories living there, and like a cliché, she reminisced her times there, savoring her last few seconds being in the vicinity of her home.

She then dashed downstairs, closing the doors behind her, looking all ready to leave, for good. The moment she stepped out of the house, the feeling of home had vanished, and what was left was an empty shell, devoid of its occupants.

She reappeared outside and approached the two, once again securing her hand in Robin's. She could practically feel her anxiety radiating off of her entire body, she gave her a reassuring look, and the two approached Ophelia.

"I'm ready to go aunt Lia, please take us there."

"Of course, let's go."

The three held hands together as to not get lost or separated, and they ran, hurriedly she might add. The look on her aunt's face told her that time is of the essence.

The tension was thick, and the only sound heard were their breaths and their sandals hitting against the ground.

They were already a panting mess, but neither of them stopped running. Thankfully they hadn't encountered a single marine yet.

The skies had turned into an angry shade of dark orange, no longer emitting the same peaceful feeling it once did on regular days.

It felt different, it was roaring and screaming for blood.

They kept running, and as they neared one of the wooden signs that read 'northern port ahead' there were a number of navy soldiers on patrol, with a checkpoint-like stand together with boxes that were covered in tarps.

This made them slow down a bit, until they looked like they hadn't been running at all. Ophelia had filled some of the details on the way there, and as expected, they had to avoid marines. What the eldest woman also mentioned was that they should never give away their identities, no surprise there.

There was also an ominous last addition to her warnings. She said that if something goes wrong when they were heading to the northern port, they were to leave her behind and to run towards the boat with a clam shaped symbol painted on its sails.

Weird design choice, but okay.

Brielle tried to disregard the foreboding feeling she felt once she indirectly told them to ditch her so that they could escape. She didn't like it one bit.

"Halt! Who goes there?!" A marine soldier asked, rather roughly, and even pointing his gun at the three.

"We mean no harm officers, it's just my daughters and I. We came here two weeks ago, and we're quite new here…..We were hoping you could help us, there is a rather large commotion happening around here…." Ophelia lied with a sincere looking face, and referring to the two of them as her daughters

"Well to put it simply ma'am, a dangerous man has taken refuge on this island, and we are currently trying to hunt him down and put him behind bars for his crimes." The said marine explained as lowered his weapons, deeming the three to be non-threatening and made a gesture to the others with him in their checkpoint.

Ophelia had to resist the urge to grit her teeth at what the man had said, but she had to keep it cool, as that might blow their cover and the children's safety was her number one priority.

"Oh my! What are we supposed to do then?" The woman exclaimed, as she acted scared at the news.

Brielle held Robin closer, to make it look like they were as frightened as her aunt was, trying their best to both conceal her face and lie their way through.

"Do not panic ma'am, there is an evacuation area located on the eastern port, we will escort you there, men! Go and help these citizens!"

"I'm afraid we cannot do that Sergeant Dean, sir!" Another man approached while carrying a baby den-den mushi on his hands.

"And why not?" The sergeant asked, with a lifted eyebrow.

"The leading Captain had already sent his orders to run a siege, and a thorough search for ex-captain Alexander. If we escort them now, there is a chance that we'd get in their way, and the captain doesn't like it when others get in the way of his work…." The man said as he tried to reason with the sergeant. They did not want to anger their captain.

"Alright, I understand. For the meantime, please stay with us. We can guarantee your safety if you remain near us."

"Thank you so much officers!" Ophelia said with a bow, with Brielle and Robin mimicking her actions.

"Can we wait near the side of the island then? I feel safer staying far away from your work, we don't want to disturb such our handsome, diligent, and hardworking marines." The woman said with empty praises, biting the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from hurling at her own words.

"Ahh, you don't have to say that ma'am! It's perfectly alright, please do." The sergeant said, looking flustered at Ophelia's words.

The other marines overheard her and also blushed at the compliment, some scratching the back of their heads with a way too big of a smile, and waving their hands trying to deny her words with a bashful expression.

Ophelia nodded, smiling at them with closed eyes before she led her 'children' near the side of the edge of the island, with only a few protective barriers to prevent someone from falling down a tall cliff.

"Don't worry kids, mommy promises that we will be alright, okay?" The woman said in a sweet voice, accompanied with a wink visible only to the two children.

They walked away scot-free from yet another encounter with the navy. They were still very far from the rendezvous point, though as the edge of the island doesn't exactly mean the shore and the docks already.

They were high up, about thirty feet, and so getting down and boarding the boat unnoticed was still a bit of a stretch to do.

Despite the distance though, they could spot a unique looking boat with a clam painted on its sails.

"_That's the one…..!"_ Brielle thought, having 20/20 eyesight this time round. She could see it clearly, and even seeing a stand-off between two hooded figures, as the marines seemed to gather more and more reinforcements, encircling them.

"_M-Mom? D-Dad? Is that you?" _

"You need to go down there and board that boat, Brie, Robin…..but I don't know how to bring you down there without them looking….."

Ophelia said in a low whisper, eyeing the marines too see if they were watching them, but thankfully they were preoccupied with something else. She closed her eyes and thought of a way to safely get the children there, but it seems like there is now an even larger amount of marines condensing near the boat.

"Don't worry aunt Lia, I have an idea."

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A man tapped his fingers impatiently on his desk.

It had been well over twenty-five minutes since the search began, and he had been anticipating a call that should have received with his den-den mushi minutes ago.

The island was rather small, compared its other neighbors, so covering the area shouldn't be that difficult of a task.

He had requested eight marine battleships just to secure that man's arrest. If he came back empty handed, with nothing to show for it, then, let's just say a certain man wasn't going to like it.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance, he trusted his men to be able to handle a single man with their number, so what exactly was taking so long?!

He sighed as he irritatingly pinched the bridge of his nose with his mouth forming a thin line, looking clearly displeased with their poor execution.

He begrudgingly took the matters into his own hands.

He reached for the den-den mushi about an arm's length away from him and dialed a number.

The snail's eyes opened the moment he took the microphone off its shell. It took a few seconds before the other line picked up his call.

"Puru puru puru puru…puru puru puru puru…kacha!"

"T-Troop three r-reporting for duty sir!" A man was heard from the speaker, stuttering with nervousness, and sounded like he was running, judging from the instability of his voice.

"Why is there no one reporting the situation, _officer_?" The man said with a hidden malice.

He should have received the news of the ex-captain's arrest by now, he did not like his plans delayed and he was itching to know the cause.

"T-There seems to be a problem sir!"

"Oh, and what is that dear officer?"

"T-The other citizens refused to leave their houses refusing to let us search the area, we could draw our weapons, but we aren't legally allowed to harm in any way. All of the people we had interrogated on the along the way had also denied any affiliations with the ex-captain….."

There was a pause.

"A-And there seems to be an uproar on the east coast. Near the evacuation area, two cloaked figures suddenly appeared and started attacking our men as well as damaging one of our ships. They busted off all the cannons before sailing away towards the north. We suspect that it might be Alexander, but the identity his accomplice is unknown.…"

"…"

"S-Sir?"

"Force the people into submission. If they are interfering with an official marine operation, then they are charged with misdemeanor. Do not hesitate to chain them up if needed. Be ready to retaliate with the canons stationed on land. Show them that we are not afraid to take drastic measures to make this mission a success. Failure is not an option, UNDERSTOOD?!"

"SIR YES SIR!"

"Oh, and officer?"

"Y-Yes, captain?"

"Don't let him go anywhere else. Keep him distracted until I reach the port. Got that?"

"YES SIR!"

"Kacha!"

"You seem to have a knack at wrangling people at your side, too bad it's not enough. I feared things turned out like this, but I guess you've chosen death

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my dear friend."

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Word Count: 6,567

Date of Publication: April 20, 2020

(Ehem, 4/20)

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	15. Chapter 15 - A Fight for Survival

A/N- Hey guuuuyss! I am so excited to share this chapter, like honestly, this is my first time writing a fight scene, so if it felt wonky, then please leave a review so that I could fix it in future chapters. I'd also like to apologize for the many errors from the last chapter, when I read it again I was legit cringing on the grammatical errors, those happen because I only proofread once nowadays and that was it, still it too much errors for one chapter and I'm sorry for that. Anyways, I won't keep you for long, especially with all the action, so without further ado, here's chap 15 and happy reading! - Diwata

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"Speaking"

"_Thoughts"_

"**Attacks"**

"_**Songs"**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.**

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As swift as the wind, and silent as midnight, two hooded figures made their way through the thick forest, and hid under the veil of the shadows that lingered in every corner.

The light taps of the soles of their shoes gave an almost noiseless echo whilst they headed east with great speed, grace and agility.

The wind gushed against the fabric of their cloaks that made it seem like they were birds flying lowly on land.

They went in and out of blind spots, as they moved effortlessly between tree to tree, and the various plant life of the village.

There was no hint of fatigue written in their faces. It was like they hadn't sprinted across the diameter of Toroa in an insanely short amount of time that no ordinary human could possibly do.

Under normal circumstances, it would have taken almost an hour or so to get from the west to east on a vehicle, and even longer on foot, but they made it seem like it was just measly ten-minute jog on an early morning.

Melody gripped the hem of her cloak tightly, she wore a determined expression as she readied herself to fight at a moment's notice. With her senses heightened at a maximum, she paid close attention to any sudden changes in her surroundings.

Anything and everything could happen, and it was better overestimate the enemy, rather than to underestimate them. This _is_ the marines they were talking about.

"Puru puru puru…..puru puru puru…"

The familiar sound of a den-den mushi rang on Alexander's wrist, and successfully gained his attention. His running stopped into halt, with Melody doing the same.

He motioned his hand to a small abandoned building, as the other nodded and followed suit.

"Puru puru puru…..puru puru puru….."

They laid low, hidden from sight to receive the call. When the two made it sure and confirmed that nobody was around to eavesdrop, and no marines to apprehend them, Alexander took the call.

"Hello?" His voice cautious, Alexander asked whoever was on the other line.

"Alex, it's me, Chiko." The voice of a man answered, and this relieved the couple as they feared someone might know of their plan.

"Chi? What's wrong?" The ex-captain asked, unsure why Chiko would call him even after they discussed everything with Ophelia, who he knew would immediately fill in things for her husband.

Did something go wrong?

"Where are you now?" His tone was serious, and Melody who listened in on the conversation, felt the unspoken tension in his voice

"We're just about seven blocks away from the port, near the old winery, why?" Alexander replied, as he made a rough calculation between their location from the others.

"You guys need to get your boat away from here. The Navy's got reinforcements and by reinforcements, I mean a couple dozen ships." His heart dropped at his words.

Just how many soldiers do the marines need to deploy? He was seriously just a single man, surely they wouldn't waste their time and energy so much.

But that would just be him being sarcastic.

He knew his worth, and he was more than convinced that the marines just wanted him to be silenced for good, because, he might just spill the right information and shade to the right people and there goes their oh-so impeccable reputation.

His mind returned to the conversation, and asked with surprise at the mention of another set of reinforcements from the navy.

"What?! But I thought there were are only of them? Two on each port?"

"Thought so too, but then….these, smaller ships appeared, I'm guessing they loaded them inside the warships." Chiko replied with evident worry and anxiousness.

"Shit….I didn't expect them to be this cautious." Alexander cursed in frustration, a rare profanity slipped off the man's tongue.

"There are….a ton of them. They are preparing to encircle Toroa, Alex. If they surround the island completely and block your boat, then there's no chance of escaping. They're also beginning to get suspicious of your boat, having your symbol and all. They might rip it to shreds if you don't hurry."

"Fuck….We're going to be there in a minute, I swear I'm….I'm not going to let this all go to waste Chi, you guys have done so much I-"

Alexander replied, only to be cut off by the other man.

"That's not the only reason I'm calling, we have a back-up plan, Alex. Have a little faith in your old buddy and the others will ya?" Chiko said with a slight chuckle despite the dire situation they were in.

"What….?"

Melody was silent, she let the two converse and assess the situation clearly to make a clear solution for another unexpected setback.

"We're….we're going to make a distraction so you can get in the boat safely." Chiko elaborated, although he left a lot of things regarding the said 'back-up plan'.

"How?" This made the ex-captain suspicious.

"Well, we're just going to go back home, away from the evacuation area, a little panic that's all."

"What do you mean?" Alexander pried further, he needed to ensure his friend won't do something stupid because of him and his personal problems.

"Wait for my signal. You can't miss it." Chiko refused to give away anymore details, and he planned to leave it like that.

"I don't like where this is going Chiko, what if they-"

"Just trust me-, no, trust in Toroa, Alex. Everything will be fine. We're normal citizens, they can't hurt us."

Once again, Alexander was cut off, but only with a question that only had one answer.

"Of course….I…..I trust you."

"Great. I gotta hang up, the marines are coming again."

"Thank you, Chiko."

"No problem, Alex"

"Kacha!"

Alexander ended the call and was deep in thought, Melody who had also been thinking of the plan the others had in mind, she couldn't help but worry.

"What do you think, honey?" Melody asked his husband who looked like he was having an internal crisis.

"Well, there's nothing else we can do go with the plan. I just hope they wouldn't get hurt." Alexander replied as he got up and dusted his pants.

"Let's go, we need to hurry, and watch out for the signal."

The two dashed fiercely, closing in the gap between the rendezvous point in under a minute. Blame it on the adrenaline for them to be able to do that sprint.

By the time they reached the east, they climbed atop the third floor of the closest building next to the makeshift marine security base.

The loud worried chatters of the Toroans became audible, as well as the patrolling marines that surrounded the people in a human barricade.

There were about almost a few hundred Toroan Villagers that stood inside an area barricaded by marines who circled them like a hawk, with about three layers of marine protection enveloped the crowd, in case something bad happens.

There was also a checkpoint near it as well, that acts as a security measure that checks each and every person going through it, making sure that the convicted man wouldn't sneak inside the safest possible place in the island and threaten their lives.

It was a must, with that amount of people in one area, who knows what could happen, they were practically sitting ducks.

An incident waiting to happen.

In their eyes, like the unhinged ex-marine savage that Alexander was, he could sneak through and hide amongst them, guaranteeing his escape, or he could take a hostage that would grant him protection, or he could impend to 'martial-art his way through them, endangering the lives of not only the citizens but the other lower ranking marines as well.

They couldn't save face if they allowed that to happen, not under any given circumstance.

They thought of every (im)possible scenario, not that he would never use other people, especially his beloved hometown's citizens as a shield or hostage.

Over his dead body.

That was just low, undignified, and outright cowardice.

He was nothing like that.

Though it was a good thing to know, Alexander had to give them credit. They had improved and grown more brains during the last two weeks after they turned their backs against him.

Good for them.

Good.

For.

Them.

With that as a sarcastic afterthought, Alexander continued to survey enemy territory, and he noticed, just like what Chiko had said, that the number of marine militia was multiplied ten-fold.

There were about twelve ships aligned just next to two behemoths of a warship just waiting to ensnare their trap on him. It wasn't just the sea that was compromised, but more so on land.

It was littered with marines, everywhere he looked, left right and center, all there was were marines, and one too many to count for Alexander's liking.

They had set up their artillery and various weaponry neatly and orderly, placed next to wooden boxes and other things, with its destructive nature just waiting to be unleashed out into the open.

The more he observed, the more his eyes strayed in following a particular set of troops, to which painfully recognized as his former soldiers from his former unit, unit six.

Ah, what a way to put more salt to his injury.

He also noticed a subtle change with how they presented themselves. They looked, odd, menacing and outright bloodthirsty.

They just had this different aura than any other soldier in the vicinity.

While very few others still looked less battle-hungry and were still wearing their uniform with a sea-shell like symbol on their collar, the majority them had the accessory removed, rather harshly too, judging from the tears on their collars where his insignia used to be.

Alexander couldn't help but wince at the clear disownment.

He had already anticipated this, but yet it still hurt. Nevertheless, there was no turning back now. They were no longer his allies and friends, but his enemies and vice versa.

There was no need for them to hold such sentiments.

Which is why Alexander cleared his thoughts and looked at Melody, as he tried to find solace in her presence who in turn, gave him a small smile.

She eyed the marines scattered on their soon to be battlefield. She noted that the first priority was to get the boat out of there and sail it north where their daughter and Robin were waiting.

Melody thought hard, would they try to be sneaky and get there without anybody noticing? But that might be too much for the two of them to handle, and that would take more time.

They couldn't afford wasting it on trying to be stealthy, plus, she was with her husband, and with him plans are usually thrown out of the window after a short while.

After all, Alexander more of a 'get everything done with' kind of person and he would have attacked them head on with no hesitation.

It was already a surprise that he managed to deal with being sneaky for a solid fifteen minutes now.

They knew they were the type not to back away without a fight, so should they give them the benefit of the doubt that they had something else up their sleeves? Or should they just give them what they want and force their way through, everything else be damned?

It has been a while since she had last fought all-out, with no restraints or consequencesattached, and she was itching to go for a stretch.

She didn't want all her hellish training to waste away…

Her thoughts ran short as a rather unexpected occurence made itself known in the tightly knit evacuation area.

*BOOM!*

Within the confines of the evacuation area, a smoke bomb the size of a golf ball detonated just a few meters above the crowd, which alerted the marines from the checkpoint and enveloped them inside thick grey smoke.

"What the-?!"

"KYAAAAA!"

The women and children shrieked that resulted in a chain reaction and made the others react badly to the unknown assault.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

The men stood up and tried to protect their families, with their arms spread out wide, to block them for any other possible harm that might come their way.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

That particular shout for some reason, rose to the top and was heard far more than the other noises present in the area.

In a quick turn of events, the villagers ran through their protective human barrier (the marines) and squeezed their way out of the dubbed 'safe place'.

They pushed, pulled, yanked, shoved and scrambled their way out of there, as the marines tried to prevent them from escaping through the use of riot shields but that didn't seem to appease the public.

"DO NOT PANIC!"

"I REPEAT! CITIZENS OF TOROA DO NOT PANIC!"

"THE NAVY WILL PROTECT YOU!"

Their words fell deaf on their ears as not even their reassuring words sank to them as they continued to fight their way by hook or by crook and in a few seconds of complete hysteria, a stampede broke out.

"MEN! ROUND THEM UP! THIS WOULD ONLY MEAN TROUBLE!"

"ON YOUR FEET AND CALM THE PEOPLE!"

"SIR YES SIR!"

The marines broke off from their first protective position and dispersed into town where the Toroans were headed. They tried to subdue them, but they ran even faster and covered their ears, refusing to listen.

Dust clouds formed behind them and trailed on their feet as they made their way to wherever they were headed. What was worse was that they decided to scatter themselves all throughout different alleyways, buildings and establishments.

This made it harder for the marines to fire, because they might accidentally harm them, which was extremely bad rep on their part, and they didn't feel like being on the receiving end of another scolding from their superiors.

The head of security, Rear Admiral Pippin, was currently stressing his beard out because of the public disorder. This spelled out trouble from all possible angles.

"SOLDIERS! ROUND THEM UP IN ONE PLACE! DON'T YOU DARE SCREW THIS UP!"

"NO SIR!"

Sadly for them it was all staged.

It was just a plot, of a back-up planned named 'Turquoise' that only the villagers know of. They knew very well that Alexander would never allow them to do such a thing, let alone act as bait for the marines to chew on.

But they had already decided, and since things already turned out for the worst, they proceeded with that plan, whether the man liked it or not.

"That must be the signal, honey….." Alexander said, as his voice died in his throat. He did not believe his eyes as he saw the smoke bomb thrown from the crowd and out to the marines.

"Well, he did say we can't miss it." His wife replied, also taken aback by the bold move from the other man her husband spoke to earlier.

The two watched as the scene unfolded, they couldn't help but feel as if it was all too in their favor.

With them going in and out of the secluded areas of town. They must have it all planned. How elaborate they were.

It was the beginning of an impending catastrophe no matter which side they were on.

"Honey?" Alexander looked at his wife, and retied his cloak tighter.

"Yes Honey?" Melody replied, as she took note of her husband's action, which only meant…

"Let's go kick their ass"

"I thought you'd never ask."

Taking the golden opportunity of a lifetime, Alexander and Melody jumped into action, quite literally. They descended from above and landed with a loud 'thump' that resulted in a pair of craters on the ground.

They ran full speed, their forms parted through the earlier smoke, and went the opposite direction from the fleeing townspeople. Their movements were not left undetected as it didn't take long for the navy to spot their peculiar appearances.

This made them suspicious and reached for their weapons, while the two just stood there, menacingly.

"YOU TWO! WHO ARE YOU?!" A man shouted at them, with a bazooka in one hand ready to blast them into the stratosphere.

The others also seemed to take notice as they gathered around them in a decent number. They pointed their firearms and with a clicking sound, it was locked, loaded, and ready to fire.

"Nobody."

That was the imaginary trigger.

Bullets rained down on the couple, but none seemed to land a hit on the two. They ran full speed ahead towards the soldiers and began their conjoined counterattack.

Melody jumped high in the air and pummeled her fists down onto the ground as she landed with such a force that it resulted in forming a mini-shock wave.

She hunched down, faced forward and shouted,

"**SOUND BARRIER!"**

Her voice created layers upon layers of sound waves weaved that manifested into a clear, solidified impenetrable barrier and deflected the bullets that flew towards them.

It bounced back, its size now one-fourth of what it originally was from being squeezed because of the impact.

Alexander dashed through a single opening within the barrier and began attacking head on.

"**LABAI!"**

He criss-crossed his opponents' arms into an elbow lock and flipped them over, not only dislocating their elbow but probably rendering them useless as well.

The man seemed to move in a blur as countless marines were thrown up high into the air, and crashed themselves into the hard ground with a devastating crack.

Within less than a minute of his attack, he had already taken out anout half of the marines stationed in the area.

"ATTACK!"

"DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!"

A new wave of marines fired at them, now with their cannons and riffles for added power. In a few moments, cannonballs dotted the sky. By the looks of it, it seemed like the fight was over when it only began.

"Tch." The cloaked woman clicked her tongue, annoyance present in her barred teeth and furrowed eyebrows.

"**PIERCING WILLOW!"**

An earsplitting falsetto erupted from her diaphragm as the air rippled rapidly towards the falling ammunition.

It twisted, compressed, and contorted into multiple needle-like points that pierced through every single bomb, detonating it far before it reached the ground.

The marines gawked at their wasted attack, but only for a second. They regained their composure immediately and settled in to dispatch more soldiers from their warship.

"_I need to take care of those pesky cannons." _

Melody thought as she cleared her way through the marines, but they never seem to stop coming. She needed to disarm their warships to avoid getting incinerated while they escape.

With the marines fast approaching her, she whirled around in an instant and with a glint in her eyes she took a deep breath.

"**CRESCENDO!"**

Slowly she vocalized an 'ah' sound, and as it gradually became louder and louder. It was a beautiful melody, irresistible to no one as nobody seemed to mind an uncalled for, impromptu song number.

What a foolish bunch, Melody thought as the marines paid no mind to her singing, they didn't even bother to cover their ears as a precaution.

A very bad practice.

Her voice only continued to grow louder and higher in a high pitched tune that may or may not have ruptured the ear drums of the navy forces surrounding her.

They didn't know what hit them.

This put them into a temporary paralysis that would last a good five minutes before they came back to their senses, which allowed her to jump on board without any interference.

She took a good look at the placements of the cannons, and thought of the best way to destroy it. She made up her mind and hummed a ballad.

"_**The songs of the raging seas…..….."**_

She positioned herself along with the side of the ship as she started to infuse her legs with the sound of her voice. The song generated about 150 decibels worth of intensity compressed into a small space.

It twirled around her legs rapidly, only seeming to go faster by the second.

With foot raised her foot up high, her back bent backwards, and with one swift movement, she brought it all crashing down.

"**DECIBELLE SHOT!" **

The cannons were reduced to ruble, and the impact created a gaping hole caused the warship to rock side to side as it leaned hard to starboard. It threatened to sink, but its mass and buoyancy kept it somewhat upright.

She repeated the same action to the other warship next to the first one.

She could only imagine the shocked faces of the marines on land stunned by her effective cannon-removal.

"Alright! I still got it" Melody stated with a grin, her rebellious attitude and cockiness from her childhood resurfaced.

"Now…...where is the boat." She muttered to herself as she scanned the area and found their escape vessel that miraculously survived her attack despite being dangerously near the two warships.

She jumped from the almost wrecked ships and landed herself onto the smaller boat. She checked it for possible damages, and thankfully there was none.

"Whoops! I should have searched for the boat first, but eh, it's still in one piece hehehe…"

Melody lowered the sails and prepared to steer the boat north, but stayed relatively near the shore for Alexander to easily board it as well.

"FIRE!"

Two lines of marine firing units shot at the boat, together with their reinforced smaller-sized ships but instead of cannonballs, bullets were fired at her yet again.

"Shoot!" Melody stammered, as she momentarily forgot about the previous time limit and that she was in a very vulnerable position.

She took hold of the helm and maneuvered the boat away from the shipwreck-inducing black balls and the other ships that tried to corner her. Her boat was rather small and much easier, this helped her glide through her much bigger and deadlier opponents

With a few sound barriers there, and a quick turn, she escaped another attack from the relentless marines.

"Whew! That was close!"

Darned marines just had to give her a heart-attack. Well, they wouldn't be bothering her for long.

"DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE! FIRE! FIRE AND SINK THAT BOAT DOWN INTO THE OCEAN!"

Somebody ordered, as the marines loaded another round of ammunition in the cannons.

"Theatrics-much?" Melody whispered to herself, and couldn't resist the smirk that tugged on the end of her lips.

As the marines were about to light the fuse, but an alluring voice snaked its way through their non-existent defenses and stopped them in their tracks.

A thin streak of mist surrounded the woman's figure, it rippled slightly as it flourished through the air and slowly enveloped those around her.

Melody received her wanted reaction from them: confusion.

"Look! What is that?!"

"I-Is that another smoke bomb?!"

"Don't be fooled! It could be anything!"

"WHY DID YOU FOOLS STOP?!"

"FIRE!"

But before the lit match could reach and burn the fuse, a distant voice called out to them and enchanted their helpless souls.

"…_**..Obey my command, all those that hear my voice….." **_

Melody spoke with a tone sultry and hypnotic. With an addicting sweet song, she attracted the unsuspecting ears of the unlucky marines privileged enough to actually hear one of her songs.

"…_**...I am yours to follow…fire not at my humble boat, but onto those clad in blue and white garments.….."**_

The marines stilled, and like obeying an automated command, they followed without question like faithful servants that became prey to her voice.

"…_**.They threaten to silence my voice...or do you wish for my song to end…?"**_

"No, dear maiden." They replied with a daze, movements sluggish and sloppy, all their attention latched onto her every word.

"…_**...Then…do as I have commanded…"**_

"My pleasure."

They redirected their cannons that once pointed at Melody and now aimed at their fellow marines. This caused the others to look at them, and noticed what they were planning to do.

Instead of firing at one of the attackers trying to escape, they turned around and prepared to fire at them.

"OI!"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"FIRING SQUAD! HOLD YOUR FIRE!"

They did not heed their command, and with a quick flick of a match, the fuse was lit and fired. A sickening boom was heard along with the screams of the panicking men on fire.

"GAHHH!"

"JUMP IN THE WATER!"

"GET THE MEDICS!"

"WHY ARE THEY FIRING AT US?!"

The fiasco of an attack wreaked havoc amongst the stationed marines near the port. The said unit kept on bombarding their own allies with every ammo that they had, including the newly deployed ships to encircle the attackers' boat.

In the midst of their own internal conflict, Melody steered away from them and went on ahead, with no resistance whatsoever.

All that's left for her to do was to pick up her husband and the two could finally sail north.

"Now, where is he?"

.

.

.

Meanwhile, just a few meters behind, Alexander was giving everybody other than himself a relatively hard time. He had been taking down soldiers left and right like a tank even though he had no other weapon other than his legs and his fists.

The marines on the other hand just kept coming. Seriously, where do they get all those men from? Do they clone them like Germa 66 or what?

He guessed their plain tactic in this fight was to win with numbers.

Quantity over quality it is then.

It took some time before they start realizing he was even bigger of a threat than they had originally thought, and finally brought out their big guns, or should he say the more experienced ones, those with more power to deal with him.

Still, their effort was futile, because Alexander was, after all a seasoned marine. He had been presented a promotion as high as one of the Vice Admirals, but he declined the offer.

He settled for being a captain instead, because that meant less work and more time with his family, well, he saw how that went..

"TAKE THIS YOU BASTARD!"

A larger soldier with a questionable number of things stuck into his curly hair ran towards the unknown attacker with a two-pronged dagger in his gloved hand. He charged at him with all his might and tried to sink his weapon into his skull.

Before Alexander could deal with him, he finished off the remaining armed marines with a quick chop at the back of their necks, effectively knocking them unconscious, and turned to the strange looking man.

"It's Vice Captain 'Dagger' Gardino!"

"That's his famous dagger in action!"

"He's finished now!"

"It's all over for you! no one can survive the vice captain's dagger!"

"BEAT HIM UP!"

"GO GET HIM, VICE-CAPTAIN!"

The other marines from the sidelines shouted as they watched their superior dash through them and made his surprise attack from behind the ex-captain.

"Ehh? It's bad to run with a sharp object you know" Alexander smirked as he sensed the man's killing intent.

The vice captain's dagger was inches away from ripping his head off his shoulders, when the ex-marine captain turned around and dodged while swinging his arm.

He had blocked the attack with his forearm, effectively pushing the man's hands with the eccentric weapon away from him.

"**BURST!"**

He hurled his legs, and struck a hard blow on the man's torso. His momentum and close distance meant the other received his attack square in the chest, probably shattering one or two of his ribs.

"URK!"

Both the block and the strike carried enough force to push the man a few feet back before he collapsed with a tremble on the ground, and blood trickling down the side of his mouth.

"V-VICE…"

"VICE-CAPTAIN!"

The marine supporters cried out at the fallen vice-captain and bawled their eyes out.

"Oh will ya please hush up? Gardy here couldn't even land a hit. Let me handle 'im"

A new challenger approaches.

The said challenger emerged from behind the lower-ranking marines. He took his time walking closer to Alexander, with a snarl on his face and a cigarette between his teeth.

"CAPTAIN TIMOTHY!"

The marines proclaimed his name collectively like Gyats from Dressrosa as he entered the scene. The marine captain turned to look at his men momentarily.

He gave his orders with a weird southern accent and an even weirder choice of words.

"Get that Gardino outta here will ya? Fix 'im up and whatnot. He looks like a darned ragamuffin."

That last one earned more than a few sweatdrops from his men, but nevertheless they obeyed.

"SIR YES SIR!"

"We'll bring him to the infirmary, Captain!"

"Yeah yeah, just get 'em outta my sight. Once he wakes up he'll be madder than a wet hen."

Again with the peculiar expressions…

The medics took the unconscious vice-captain onto a stretcher and carried him away, while others replaced the defeated marines in another wave of reinforcements, this time, with double the amount than the last.

"Don't interfere." The man said, in a firm authoritative demand.

"But sir-" A newbie soldier made the mistake of unintentionally offending the man.

"Did I stutter?!" The marine captain exclaimed with a frown, as he bit down his cigarette harder, causing it to break in two.

"N-NO SIR!" Frightened by him, the soldier replied with a crack in his voice which earned a few snickers from his fellow colleagues which made him bite his tongue.

"Well well well, if it isn't Alexander." Timothy said as he approached with pressure on his step and he stood face to face to confront the wanted man.

"EHHHHH?!"

The bystanders, a.k.a. the marines shouted, complete with their eyes popped out from their sockets, snot dripping from their noses and their tongues stuck out from their mouths.

A typical surprised reaction.

"Aish, these folks only got only one oar in the water…"

The captain muttered under his breath at the hopeless bunch. He lit another cigarette in his mouth and puffed out a smoke from his lips, and it blew in the other man's face.

"Heh, didn't think you'd recognize me so soon, Tim." Alexander replied truthfully with just a hint of sarcasm in his tone as he addressed the man in front of him with a nickname that indicated they were somehow acquainted with one another.

"Oh please, 'yer fighting style is very distinct ya know." 'Tim' answered back, as launched himself with a pickaxe as his weapon of choice.

"Aww, no need to spill the beans too quickly." Alexander said playfully.

He evaded his attack with a couple of backflips while Timothy charged forward, hot on his trail. The two engaged in close combat, each attack just barely missing each other's hits by a hair.

Timothy fought with all his power and effort, but he knew Alexander was holding back. The fight looked too one sided, and this frustrated him to no end.

The battle continued for a good three minutes until Alexander finally stopped entertaining the man. He took a stance and readied himself for a serious attack.

"I've had my fun, Tim, but I gotta go, duty calls." Alexander told the other man. He really needed to hurry, after all, his wife wouldn't be all too happy if he took too long.

He whirled and thrust his leg into the air within a fraction of a second and delivered his finishing blow.

"**TORNADO KICK!"**

Timothy tried to dodge, but the man's movement was too fast for his vision and the last thing he saw while standing on his feet was a blurry image of a foot nearing his face.

He was thrown up and into the ground, miserably. He couldn't move his body anymore and his kick hurt like hell.

Alexander gave him one last look, and rushed towards the shore, and boarded a boat with his accomplice, both clearly headed north.

His men rushed towards him full of worry.

"Captain! Captain are you alright?!"

He did not reply, as he head was still spinning from the nasty fall.

"I knew it, I'm no match for 'em." Timothy spat out bitterly as he had accepted defeat, he put his hand on top of his eyes as he tried to feel numb against his aching body.

He already had a feeling he couldn't take the man down, but he just can't back down without putting up a fight.

With all his remaining power and consciousness, he shouted out an order.

"MEN! DON'T LET HIM ESCAPE! ALERT THE OTHERS THAT HE MADE HIS MOVE AND IS HEADING NORTH WITH HIS ACCOMPLICE!"

"SIR YES SIR!"

As Timothy felt himself being hoisted to a stretcher, he thought about how a certain captain wouldn't be pleased by this setback.

The thought made him scowl, just because _that man_ had the favor of a vice admiral made him feel all high and mighty, as he sat on his high horse and looked down on everybody else.

Honestly, Alexander was far more admirable and respectable than that piece of shit.

"_Why did you do it Alex?"_

He could only sigh, and let the darkness consume him as his consciousness faded.

.

.

.

Word Count: 5,545

Date of Publication: April 27, 2020

Notes: Major props tho for human weapon, it helped me out so much while writing this, also, Alexander is a Mixed Martial Artist.


	16. Chapter 16 - Confrontation

"Speaking"

"_Thoughts"_

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor its characters, Eichiro Oda does.**

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May 12, XXXX

6:37 PM

West Blue

Toroan Northern Port

"What do you have in mind, Brie?""

Robin asked the girl beside her, seeming to have found a loophole in their current predicament. From an outsider's perspective, it looked like they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. There wasn't really enough elbow room this time.

Just think about it, there was a whole unit of the navy stationed a few meters away from them and at any given moment they could become suspicious of their peculiar actions and pursue them.

That wasn't really an ideal thing to happen.

Obstacle number two being, that the escape vessel is way down there, mind you, below the cliff, and yet there is also another group of marines down under.

So what could they possibly do?

"Trust me on this one, okay? Robin-nee, Aunt Lia." Brielle asked of the two next to her, her eyes pleading.

She really needed to gain their trust on this one. Though it might be a bit hard to do, because she is a child and seriously, what adult would trust a toddler just shy from being six, with a situation as crucial as this one?

Nobod-

"Of course I trust you sweetie, besides, I can't think of anything…..whatever you might have in mind is still better than nothing." Ophelia suggested, her face looking deep in thought.

Brielle stood corrected, maybe the adults here are far more sensible and appreciative of a child's opinion.

"I trust you too, Brielle-san"

"Ah…..really?" Brielle asked again, dumbfounded by the quick answer, surely they might have a bit more questions in regard to this, but as the girl received her much needed words of affirmation, she proceeded on with her plan, no matter how crazy and faulty it sounded.

She have decided to unleash her secret trump card.

You see, during her training days, her mother always stuck to her 'lesson plan' and never brought out the original reference: the book, aka the songs of a siren, mostly because the majority of the content written on it are still way too complicated and completely out of Brielle's current level.

But Brielle was as curious as her mother, and hence, she borrowed (stole) the book, took a quick peek at it, and successfully copied only one song from it without Melody ever knowing. (That clever brat)

After a quick skim, she decided on one that looks like something she could do despite her lack of experience and capability.

[Sopeia's Ballads, Chapter 10, Page 148: The Sailor's Lullaby]

"Okay, I need you two to cover your ears, I'll do something, and make sure to not let yourself hear anything alright?"

"I don't really understand, but, alright. I have questions but I guess now isn't really the ideal time to ask." Lia answered honestly, but they didn't really have that many options.

"Okay, Brielle-san." Robin also replied, having complete faith in the girl.

"Thank you." Brielle said with a smile and parted from the other two. She gave a quick nod and approached the group of marines that looked very disheveled and conflicted. They looked a bit distressed too, but only under the mask of resilience and bravery.

A major contrast compared to their mood just a few minutes prior.

She walked her way closer to them with a clenched fist, with a nervous smile and a rapidly beating heart.

The men didn't pay her much attention and was busy amongst themselves as they were preparing their forces. Nobody noticed her small figure come up towards them slowly and deliberately.

They pulled out their large artilleries, cannons, bazookas, swords, riffles, and every bit of weaponry they garnered in that base.

It was a pretty terrifying sight.

Nevertheless, the little girl stood firm and confided in her burning determination to protect the ones that she loves and escape those that try to put them in danger.

She turned around and made a sort of hand sign in the air facing her aunt and friend with a fiery gaze, and when she received a thumbs up from the both of them, she turned back to the navy.

"_Time to bring out the big guns."_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

With a deep breathe to calm her nerves, she sang.

It was a bit shaky at first, as she was unused to performing something she clearly wasn't suited for, but what other choice did she have?

_Lay your head on my shoulder_

This turned a few heads, the guys must have been thinking why on all the four blues was this child there in the midst of their work, and singing too no doubt, but they have come to be ever so entranced.

_I'll sing a lullaby for you_

The little girl can sing, they all unconsciously agreed, they could say judging from hearing her few soft notes and gentle childlike voice.

_Of adventures over yonder_

Their words died on their throat, unable to voice out their confusion. Questions left unasked, like why were they feeling, just a little bit weary and that the night seems to call them over.

_Through the vast, wide, oceans of blue_

Slowly but surely, their actions have become sluggish, toppling over one another as an intoxicatingly sweet melody filled in the crevices of their soul. A craving they didn't know they had.

_I'll hum a tale of valiant sights_

Barely could their eyelids remain open, whatever that was, they never wanted it to stop. It was conflicting really, on one hand, the mission was urgent and they needed to be alert, but on the other they were all so very tired and the temptation was just too enticing to resist.

_But for now, sleep down under_

One after another, bodies slumped on top of each other and fell over like flies. Some tried to resist the urge, but it was futile. The song had them wrapped on its non-existent little finger. It was already dark, and the night breeze was so comforting.

_The endless skies and diamond nights_

Under the light of the moon, a lone girl remained standing in the area, with her hands joined together, she held them close, near her heart. It was draining her energy way too quickly, and she felt a bit dizzy.

_Close your eyes, deep into slumber_

As she uttered the last of her song, she heaved a long bearing sigh. She looked over at the fallen marines, clearly knocked-out. This made her elicit the tiniest grin, the plan was a success.

She turned and gave a look back at the two who were waiting patiently for her from just a few meters away, their hands still cupping their ears tightly.

They look unaffected, the girls thought, and with the last of her strength, she made an okay sign high up in the air, and the action was responded with the lowering of their hands and a bringing out a smile.

Knowing the fact that everything turned out just fine, her legs gave out and she finally had the liberty to pass out.

Seeing this, both Ophelia and Robin ran fast towards the unconscious girl laying on the grass. Worry filled up inside of them as they neared her body.

Ophelia craned her head over to the once awake-and lively men, who were now in the same situation as her niece.

If one didn't look close enough, they might have missed the slow rising and falling of their chests, and then they would've probably assumed that the little girl massacred them all.

But thankfully, they were just asleep, under a spell.

This eased the aunt's underlying worry that Brielle might somehow had to sacrifice herself, to sully her innocent hands for the sake of them all.

"B-Brielle…..?...Brielle! Oh God! I should've done something else! I-If I knew this would happen I'd never have allowed her to do this!"

She knelt down and shook her body gently, but the girl was still unrespondent.

Ophelia blamed herself for not being crafty enough to come up with an alternative, less worry-inducing plan, and now, she didn't know why her niece suddenly fell unconscious and how on earth are the marines flat on their faces, sleeping their asses of?

"Brielle-san…..! Please wake up!" Robin cried, her tears lining her eyes with worry. She scooted closer to the little one and wiped the sweat that formed on her forehead.

Her lips quivered at the sight of the other girl, what did she do to herself? Robin wouldn't forgive herself if something happened to Brielle. After everything she's done for her, no way in hell would she let her get harmed, not on her watch.

Was what she initially thought, but this…she felt…..angry at not being able to be more of help, and now Brielle was unconscious and they don't know how to help her.

"Ur….gh…." Brielle coiled and grunted.

This caused the two to look at her hopefully, she turned a bit more in her sleep. She furrowed her eyebrows and a few moments later, she finally opened her eyes.

Brielle's sight was a bit blurry at first, but when it cleared, it showed Ophelia and Robin anxiously waiting for her to regain consciousness.

"Wha—What? Aunt….Lia? R-Robin-nee….?" She worded out, still half-aware of her surroundings, what was she doing again?

""Brielle!"" The two females gave out a smile of relief.

"What…happened? Wait- the plan! Did I- no did it work….?"

"Yeah, it sure did. I don't know what you just did, but please don't do it again, I don't want you to hurt yourself like this!"

Ophelia said, clearly debating whether to be displeased at her recklessness or be proud of whatever she just did, it was still amazing how she managed to knock them out without having to move a muscle or fight back.

She decided on the latter.

"That's right Brielle-san, please take care of yourself more…" Robin pleaded at her friend, but she could only reply with,

"I'm sorry, but no promises, hehe" Brielle replied with a matching laugh.

"Aish, what do I do with you, I swear you really are like your mother…" Ophelia sighed, and slowly lifted Brielle of the ground and helped her dust away the stray blades of grass that clung on her dress.

Robin could only accept the bit of recklessness that her friend had and stuck close to her, holding her hand in hers yet again for comfort.

The younger girl gave her hand a little squeeze to reassure her unending worries.

"Well, are you feeling better now, Brie? Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I'm okay Aunt Lia. We better get going now though, the coast is clear to head down the cliff."

"Alright, let's go."

The three, now took off and went through the sea of snoring marines that littered the area, and went near the makeshift path downhill and into the seashore by the docks.

Stealthy, like one of those spy movies that Brielle used to watch, they tiptoed in between the ships until they made it near yet another bunch of marines. They hid themselves behind a nearby boat and eavesdropped on their conversation.

The marines have gathered in a circle, discussing what actions to take now that the situation has become dire.

"What do we do now, Captain? Seems like the perpetrator has made his move." One man said, holding his rifle on one hand, and a salute formed on the other.

"Isn't it obvious? We corner him and fight back with all we've got, it is only right since he had taken out our entire unit, including that Timothy he isn't really all that much of a fight anyway."

A man in the center of the circle stated, as a matter of fact, in a tone that the others didn't sit well with them. Awfully arrogant of him to assume that it was all too easy for them.

He didn't even address his fellow captain properly. Still, they had enough decency to respect the man of a higher rank than them, and it was not like he couldn't back up his words, he had already proven himself, but his attitude needed some work.

The group he was currently leading was Timothy's men after all.

Now he didn't have any spare respect for them as well, his reputation took a hit, but it seemed like the man didn't give a shit.

"But sir, they have proven to be quite formidable, they even disintegrated our cannons! I mean, how did they do that?!" another marine stepped forward as he stated his worries.

"Why, do you not have any faith in your allies? 0163?" the captain taunted, now facing the other.

"It's not that I-" the man reasoned, but he was so rudely cut off by the higher ranking man, only referring to him by his marine code number no less, was he looking down on him or something?

"Silence FOOL!" the captain scolded the poor marine in a booming voice worthy of an Oscar.

This earned more than a few side glances from the others. The blatant rudeness was hard to ignore, but alas, they could only bear with it and suck it up.

"You really think I don't know that?! If things go even worse than it already is because of your troop's incompetence, then I still got something to drag him into hell."

"Sir! We have received intel on Alexander's accomplice!"

Another man came into view and approached from the behind them, it was Petty Officer Nathan, from a few chapters earlier. He came back with a new report and info about the case and mission at hand.

"Ah! There we go, at least someone has proved themselves useful. Well, who is it, 0825?"

Even though he was put off by the choice of addressing him, but still he complied.

"It is his wife, Melody. According to some eyewitnesses, she was the one responsible for the cannons and the shooting incident. Apparently, she is some sort of a witch, and enchantress that made them do it."

Nathan elaborated whilst flipping through the pages of his documents.

"_A devil fruit user? So that frail looking bitch can actually fight?"_

The captain thought, remembering the face of the wanted man's wife, blonde hair, green eyes, an overall pretty woman, she was quite the looker, but he didn't expect her to be one of those kind.

Well, it was _his_ woman after all, you can expect that much.

"I see, well that explains things, it seems like she's more trouble than she's worth. We will arrest her as well for aiding the assault against the marines and destruction of our property. Make sure to engage combat with her on sea. That way, it'll be much easier to deal with her. Shove her into the water, or do something that'll make her fall over, and most importantly, use seastone-tipped weapons. Devil fruit users are always such a pain to deal with."

The group nodded collectively at his orders, the only thing that made him tolerable was that he was actually proficient in his job, and that made it all more infuriating.

"I at least know for a fact that Alexander is not one of those, so rest assured he's not going anywhere else but prison. Now, remember the plan. Corner them and don't let them escape."

"SIR YES SIR!" They shouted in unison, they were about to go into their respective positions, but the captain stopped them

"Oh, and one more thing, seize the rats eavesdropping on our conversation."

The man smirked and jumped high up in the air and reappeared behind the three hiding behind the ship, paralyzed in shock at what they've learned.

He had unsheathed his sword and raised it in line with their throats, the metallic color glinted at the light of the moon.

"Now, please explain what three lovely ladies are doing here huh?" He said threateningly despite his smiling face.

It was if the looks of horror that spread on the female's faces sealed their fate right then and there. Each, with varying degrees of fear

"_OH NO!"_

"_WHAT?!"_

"_Shit"_

"Checkmate."

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Word Count: 2,862

Date of Publication:

A/N- Short chapter, I know, but writing 5k word chapters really burns me out and led me to procrastinate (3 week delay from my usual updating schedule), so, I'm sorry about that, but at least with shorter chapters, the updates would be a bit faster.


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